WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the letter of 13 June 2013 from the Child Support Agency (CSA) to the hon. Member for Chesterfield, reference CFA/0307292, 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to lift the current moratorium on committal actions for parents who are non-compliant with the CSA;
	(2)  when he expects the CSA to be able to resume carrying out committal actions on parents who are non-compliant with the CSA.

Steve Webb: A Court of Appeal judgment handed down on 30 October 2012, required the Child Support Agency (CSA) to amend several processes linked with commitment applications.
	The CSA have amended the procedures for progressing commitment action, and revised the standard of financial evidence required to support the case in court. I can clarify that since March 2013 the legal teams have been presenting certain cases, ie where the non-resident parent is already the subject of a court order committing them to prison but suspended on the basis they will comply with certain conditions, which they have then failed to do.
	The courts have tested and accepted the revised commitment approach and, since recommencing commitment work in May, five custodial sentences have been imposed.
	Having looked into this matter personally, I can also confirm that the Child Support Agency (CSA) has now re-started action on all committal cases in line with the amended procedures. I apologise that the agency's letter of 13 June to the hon. Member did not reflect the most up to date information.

Flexible Support Fund

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has allocated for the Flexible Support Fund in each of the last three financial years; how much his Department will spend on the fund in 2013-14; and what the reasons are for any change in these figures.

Mark Hoban: Flexible Support Fund over the last three financial years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 expenditure 70 
			 2012-13 expenditure 122.3 
			 2013-14 expenditure to June 27.4 
		
	
	The Flexible Support Fund was introduced in April 2011 and expenditure was lower in 2011-12 due to the lead time in identifying and putting in place appropriate additional provision and support to meet local needs.

Food Banks: Voucher Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many foodbank vouchers have been issued by jobcentres in each month in the last year.

Mark Hoban: Food banks do not form part of the welfare system and DWP does not monitor their usage, or have any plans to do so.

Housing Benefit: Night Shelters

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent judgement OR v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Isle of Anglesey County Council on the operation of homeless nightshelters.

Steve Webb: This Upper Tribunal judgment was about whether a person's accommodation could be regarded, for benefit purposes, as a dwelling which the claimant occupied as his home. That has always been a basic test for entailment to housing benefit in legislation. The Tribunal decided that for benefit purposes, in this particular case and based on specific facts, that the claimant's accommodation did not constitute his home. Housing benefit regulations do not refer specifically to homeless hostels or shelters and the law in this respect has not changed.
	The Government recognises the important contribution that night shelters can make to reducing rough sleeping and the associated costs to society. There are already significant levels of funding for shelters available in England; £470 million preventing homelessness funding for local authorities and the voluntary sector to tackle and prevent homelessness, including rough sleeping; and a £42.5 million Homelessness Change programme for 1,500 new and refurbished bed spaces for rough sleepers.
	It is for local providers to look at the most appropriate sources and mix of funding for the type of accommodation for rough sleepers they think is most suitable for their local needs. Housing benefit may be one of them, and universal credit in future.

Jobseeker’s Allowance: Young People

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the actively seeking work criteria of the jobseeker's allowance regulations will be applied for young people aged between 18 and 24 years old enrolled on the Government's traineeships scheme.

Mark Hoban: Jobseekers participating on a traineeship will continue to be paid jobseeker's allowance at their benefit rate. For the duration of their traineeship, they will be subject to all existing conditionality such as actively seeking work, being available for employment and attending regular face-to-face Job-centre adviser interviews.
	Traineeships aim to help an intermediate group of jobseekers develop the skills and attitudes employers look for to enable them to move into sustainable employment. Young People who already possess employability skills or have high levels of attainment are likely to be successful in finding work or an apprenticeship without the extra support a traineeship provides. Young people who need more intensive help before they can successfully engage with the labour market are supported through the Youth Contract, the Work programme and wider training provision.

Jobseeker’s Allowance: Young People

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the 16 hour rule for study will be applied to young people aged between 18 and 24 years old enrolled on the Government's traineeship scheme and claiming jobseeker's allowance.

Mark Hoban: Traineeships do not change the full-time study rule in jobseeker's allowance. The programme however will be flexible enough to enable training providers and employers to meet the requirements of young people who are claiming benefits. Those who are designing traineeships with the intention of offering places to benefits claimants are encouraged to consult Jobcentre Plus, to ensure a suitable fit with the benefits system whilst also meeting the needs of the local labour market.

Offshore Industry: Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times in each of the last five years well operators in the UK offshore oil and gas industry reported the use of blow out prevention technology in well control operations.

Mark Hoban: The number of times offshore operators have reported to the Health and Safety Executive the coming into operation of blow-out prevention or diversion systems to control the flow of a well, in each of the last five years is:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2007/08 20 
			 2008/09 35 
			 2009/10 21 
			 2010/11 23 
			 2011/12 14 
		
	
	The figures for 2012-13 are not yet available.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bombings: Omagh

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she expects to announce her decision regarding the need for a public inquiry into the events surrounding the Omagh bombing.

Theresa Villiers: I am currently considering the contents of a report presented to me by the Omagh Support and Self Help Group (OSSHG). I hope to be in a position to make my decision soon.

National Crime Agency

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations she has made to her counterparts in the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice on the National Crime Agency and its work in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), and I are in close touch with Home Office colleagues about the National Crime Agency's role in Northern Ireland. Our shared aim is to ensure that Northern Ireland benefits as much as possible from the National Crime Agency. We hold regular meetings with Justice Minister David Ford about matters affecting security in Northern Ireland.

National Crime Agency

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with (a) the security services and (b) police forces in Great Britain on the National Crime Agency and its work in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: Neither the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), nor I have had discussions with the Security Service or police forces in Great Britain about the National Crime Agency.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Alternatives to Prosecution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what record is kept of when a Crown Prosecution Service lawyer recommends that a serious offence is disposed of via a caution prior to the stage when the police formally refer a case for charging decision.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) only records the number of cases formally referred by the police for pre-charge advice and where the final decision was to either, charge, obtain further evidence, issue a simple caution, conditional caution, reprimand, final warning or take the offence into consideration.
	The figures in the table below show the total number of pre-charge decisions and those where the decision was either issue a simple caution, conditional caution, reprimand, final warning or take the offence into consideration.
	
		
			  2012-13 
			 Simple Caution 2,941 
			 Other Out Of Court Disposals (Conditional Caution, Reprimand, final warning, TIC) 4,701 
			 All Out of Court Disposals 7,642 
			 Decisions to Charge 178,026 
			 No Prosecution 71,215 
			 All Other Decisions including Administratively Finalised 42,462 
			 Total pre-charge decisions 299,345 
		
	
	The CPS case management system is unable extract pre-charge data for specific offence categories.

Alternatives to Prosecution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2013, Official Report, column 349W, on alternatives to prosecution, what factors determined the decision not to prosecute in the 190 cases where cautions were recommended by the Crown Prosecution Service for child abuse flagged cases.

Dominic Grieve: The CPS Case Management System data does not provide a breakdown of the individual factors that determined the decision not to prosecute the 190 cases where cautions were recommended by the CPS. This information could only be obtained by examining all of the files, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
	The decision to issue a caution will have been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors; the Directors Guidance on Charging; CPS guidance on child abuse, and the Home Office/Ministry of Justice guidance on simple cautions.

Alternatives to Prosecution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecution, if he will list by Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) business area of CPS out-of-court disposals in each of the last seven years for (a) domestic violence-flagged, (b) rape-flagged and (c) child abuse-flagged cases.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) consists of 13 areas, each headed by a chief Crown prosecutor (CCP), In addition, there are four specialised national divisions. The figures provided in the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, related to pre-charge decisions made by the 13 areas only. A full breakdown has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Alternatives to Prosecution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecution, how many of the Crown Prosecution Service out-of-court disposals for rape-flagged cases concerned offences that were (a) indictable-only and (b) triable either way but routinely so in a Crown court.

Oliver Heald: The information provided in the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecution related to the number of pre-charge decisions (PCDs) referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) where a 'Rape' database monitoring flag had been applied. Notwithstanding the application of a rape monitoring flag, PCD data is not held by offence type so the mode of trial of any offences considered by a CPS prosecutor when making a pre-charge decision cannot be ascertained without looking at individual PCD files which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Alternatives to Prosecution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecution, how many of the Crown Prosecution Service out-of-court disposals for domestic violence-flagged cases concerned offences that were (a) indictable-only and (b) triable either way but routinely so in a Crown court.

Oliver Heald: The information provided in the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 772W, on alternatives to prosecution related to the number of pre-charge decisions (PCDs) referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) where a 'Domestic Violence' database monitoring flag had been applied. PCD data is not held by offence type so the mode of trial of any offences considered by a CPS prosecutor when making a pre-charge decision cannot be ascertained without looking at individual PCD files which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Alternatives to Prosecution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2013, Official Report, column 701W, on Crown Prosecution Service, how many police-charged cases have been subsequently discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service in each year from 2007 up to and including 2011.

Oliver Heald: The following table shows the number and proportion of cases charged by the police, which were subsequently dropped by the CPS in each year from 2007 to 2011.
	
		
			  Prosecutions Dropped 
			  Number Percentage 
			 2007 56,701 8.2 
			 2008 47,813 7.1 
			 2009 46,974 7.1 
			 2010 46,855 7.4 
			 2011 45,897 7.5 
		
	
	Prosecutions dropped comprise cases discontinued or withdrawn, where no evidence is offered, the prosecution or indictment is stayed or all charges are left on file.

Alternatives to Prosecution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2013, Official Report, column 701W, on Crown Prosecution Service, how many police-charged cases have been subsequently disposed of via a caution by the Crown Prosecution Service in each year from 2007 up to and including 2011.

Oliver Heald: The following table sets out the number and proportion of police charged cases that were not continued by the CPS in the specified years because it was determined that a caution was more appropriate.
	
		
			  Caution 
			  Number Percentage 
			 2007 2,897 0.4 
			 2008 2,543 0.4 
			 2009 2,793 0.4 
			 2010 3,008 0.5 
			 2011 3,399 0.6

European Convention On Human Rights

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Attorney-General what progress he is making on negotiations on the European Convention on Human Rights.

Dominic Grieve: Protocol 15 to the European Convention on Human Rights was opened for signature on 24 June and the UK signed immediately. This will among other things shorten the time limit for applications to the Court and write the principle of subsidiarity in to the Convention. Other short- and medium-term reform measures are progressing well, and the Court's backlog of applications is falling. The next phase will be the longer-term reform work called for by the Brighton Declaration, starting in the autumn.

HSBC

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General with reference to the conclusion of the United States Senate Permanent Sub-Committee on Investigations, published in July 2012 that HSBC had failed to prevent criminals using the bank to channel the proceeds of crime, what steps he and the Director of the Serious Fraud Office have taken to ascertain HSBC's historic and current compliance with money laundering laws since July 2012.

Oliver Heald: The Criminal Justice Act 1987 limits the remit of the Serious Fraud Office into investigating serious and complex fraud or bribery and corruption. Any investigation into the historic or current anti-money laundering procedures adopted by HSBC Bank Plc would need to be conducted by the Financial Conduct Authority which is specifically tasked with such a role.

Money Laundering

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many investigations into money laundering were launched by the Serious Fraud Office in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013 to date.

Oliver Heald: The remit of the Serious Fraud Office, as set down in the Criminal Justice Act 1987, is to investigate serious and complex fraud or bribery and corruption. An investigation with the primary focus of money laundering is therefore not a case that can be accepted by the Serious Fraud Office. There are a number of instances in which lines of inquiry include investigating the laundering of the proceeds of the primary crime however statistics on secondary lines of inquiry are not held.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many cases the Crown Prosecution Service had to review mid-trial its decision to deploy a single barrister to conduct a homicide prosecution or a prosecution involving multiple defendants in each of the last three years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain central records of instances where the decision to instruct a particular advocate has had to be reviewed midway through a trial. In order to answer the question each file for a homicide case and a case involving multiple defendants, which proceeded to trial, would have to be reviewed manually which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many people have been waiting for three months or more for a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decision to charge following the submission of their case by the police to the CPS for a charging decision.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the length of time taken to make a charging decision. To provide this information would require a manual search of files incurring a disproportionate cost.
	However, data is available in respect of charging decisions taken by CPS Direct which is responsible for over 95% of charging decisions made by the CPS. CPS Direct receives approximately 350,000 requests for charging decisions per annum from the police via a telephone based system. Currently, 69% of calls are being answered within three minutes. For each valid call received a decision is made on the day to charge, not to charge or agree an action plan with the police to secure further essential information or evidence.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Crown Prosecution Service plans to review its use of a single barrister to conduct a homicide prosecution or a prosecution involving multiple defendants.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service is currently reviewing its processes for determining whether the use of a single barrister to conduct a case, be it a homicide case or one involving multiple defendants, is appropriate.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Accountancy

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Leader of the House how much his Office spent on contracts with (a) Deloitte, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) KPMG and (d) Ernst and Young in each year since 2008.

Andrew Lansley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. Our answer will be included in the response by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, shortly.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Leader of the House how much (a) he and (b) officials in his Office spent on external assistance to prepare for (i) appearances before select committees and (ii) contact with the media in (A) 2011-12 and (B) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Lansley: No Minister or official in the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has commissioned any external assistance to prepare for appearances before select committees, or for media contact in either (A) 2011-12 or (B) 2012-13.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information she has on reports of cholera cases in camps for displaced Rohingya people in Burma.

Alan Duncan: According to the latest report from UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in May 2013 there have been no reports of outbreaks of cholera in camps for displaced Rohingya people.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what healthcare facilities are available in each of the Rohingya internally displaced persons camps in Burma.

Alan Duncan: Access to healthcare in Rohingya internally displaced persons camps (IDP) is limited. Restrictions on freedom of movement, which can be particularly difficult for Rohingya, is also a problem; most health centres in Rakhine State tend to be located in areas which are hard to reach for IDPs. Currently there are two non-governmental organisations providing health services in Rakhine state through mobile clinics and disease surveillance, including to Rohingya camps.

Northcote House

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department used the facilities at Northcote House, Sunningdale Park, Berkshire in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: DFID has not used Northcote House to deliver central DFID learning and development events or training courses. It is possible that DFID staff or Ministers have attended externally hosted training courses or meetings at Northcote House, but our systems do not allow us to identify training events or meetings by venue, and DFID is not aware of any such events.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Afghan counterpart regarding the appointment of the five new commissioners to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and recent comments made by Navi Pilley, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the effect of this on the Commission's independence.

Alistair Burt: The British Government have been forthright in our promotion of the human rights of all Afghan citizens, and will continue to be so. We raised our concerns regarding the appointment process through a joint EU/Swiss statement at the senior officials meeting on the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework in Kabul on 3 of July.
	We called on the Afghan Government to take appropriate actions to ensure that the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) retains its “A” accreditation from the International Coordination Committee of National Human Rights Institutions.
	We support the work of the AIHRC and have provided £500,000 this year to help it act to protect and promote human rights. We will continue to work closely with the AIHRC to ensure it can perform effectively, and will continue to monitor its ability to function as an independent national human rights body.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse of the visit of Burma's President Thein Sein and his delegation to the UK will be.

Hugo Swire: The cost of the Guest of Government visit for President Thein Sein to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be an estimated £30,250. The Home Office will bear policing costs.

Diplomatic Service

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on consular assistance provided by UK embassies or consulates to people resident at addresses in Scotland in each of the last five years; what the locations of the embassies or consulates offering assistance were; and what the reasons for assistance being offered were.

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) records consular information on our "COMPASS" global assistance database. For those living in the UK this only records nationality as British. In some consular cases we may record where a British national or their family is resident in order to assist our handling. However we could only retrieve this information through a manual search of all assistance cases. Since the FCO helps on average 20,000 people each year this is not possible. Likewise we cannot gather the information requested about the location of the embassy or consulate, or the reason for assistance, without a similar manual search.

Dominican Republic

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid the Government provided (a) directly and (b) via multilateral agencies to support judicial and penal reform in the Dominican Republic in each of the last five years.

Hugo Swire: In 2009 and 2012 the British embassy in Santo Domingo financed the construction of secure facilities for the Dominican judicial system for use when interviewing vulnerable witnesses and victims of crime, predominantly women and children. The embassy has also funded the engagement of a UK prison consultant to advise the Dominican Attorney General on the construction of the New Model Prison system in the Dominican Republic. The UK's support for the New Model Prison project also included a capacity-building visit to UK by the Dominican Attorney General in 2007.
	With regard to multilateral agencies, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Department for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan), on 5 July 2013, Official Report, column 841W.

Greece

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with his Greek counterparts regarding human rights abuses in that country; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: All EU member states have committed to respecting human rights through the Treaty on EU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The British ambassador in Athens regularly discusses human rights with Ministers and senior officials, including issues around racism and the asylum process. In recent months the Greek Government has taken positive steps to tackle racism with the introduction of a directorate within the police force dedicated to tackling racism and legislation aimed directly at combating racism and xenophobia. We also expect Greece's recent efforts to develop further their system of processing asylum claims to improve conditions for migrants.

Greece

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on Operation Zeus in Greece; and what discussions he has had with the Greek government concerning the treatment of EU nationals affected by this operation.

David Lidington: I have received regular reports form the British embassy in Athens about Operation Zeus and the wider migration issues faced in Greece. The British embassy in Athens has not been alerted to any cases of EU nationals being affected by Operation Zeus.
	Both the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), and the Minister for Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Forest of Dean (Mr Harper), have discussed Operation Zeus with the Greek Minister for Public Order and Citizen Protection.

Israel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has received in opposition to proposals by the government of Israel to forcibly remove 40,000 Bedouin from their historic lands.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received over 600 representations from members of the public on this issue.

Israel

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will direct HM ambassador to Israel to draw the attention of the Israeli Government to the possible breach of Article 76 of the fourth Geneva conventions committed by the Israeli authorities in imprisoning in Israel Palestinians charged with or convicted of offences committed in the Occupied Territories.

Alistair Burt: I can confirm that we have already raised with the Israeli authorities our concerns over Israeli treatment of Palestinian detainees, including the practice of detaining Palestinians within Israel contrary to Article 76 of the fourth Geneva convention. I raised our concerns over the treatment of Palestinian detainees during my meeting with the Israeli Attorney General in London on 20 June. My officials also discussed the issues facing Palestinian detainees with the Palestinian Minister for Prisoner Affairs during his visit to London on 21 June.

Israel

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the legal obligations of the UK Government under Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention with regards to investigating (a) the directors of and (b) the corporate entity of G4S plc for aiding and abetting breaches of the Convention in the transfer of Palestinian detainees from the West Bank.

Alistair Burt: The British Government ensures it acts in accordance with our international law obligations. However, in accordance with longstanding convention followed by successive governments, we are notable to comment on detailed legal advice.
	Whilst international law does not impose direct obligations on corporations, the British Government has made clear our concerns about Israel's treatment of Palestinian detainees to G4S and our clear position on the illegality of settlements, including at a meeting with representatives from G4S in October 2012.
	On 21 April, G4S publicly confirmed that they would not renew a number of security contracts in the West Bank ‘to ensure that G4S Israel business practices remain in line with our own business ethics policy’. These include the servicing of security equipment at Ofer Military Prison, at West Bank checkpoints and at a police station in the contentious E-l area of Jerusalem.

Italy

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) his EU counterparts and (b) the EU Commission on whether Italy should be excluded from the Erasmus and the Bologna process until it abides by agreements and fully implements the judgements of the Court of Justice of the European Union with regard to lettori.

David Lidington: The discrimination faced by UK and foreign national lecturers in Italy is unacceptable and illegal. We have pressed the Italian authorities to find a solution to this issue. Our embassy in Rome has been facilitating dialogue between the Association of Foreign Lecturers in Italy, and the Italian Education Ministry. The Minister for Universities and Science, my right hon. Friend the Member for Havant (Mr Willetts), and the British ambassador to Italy have both raised the importance of solving this issue with the newly appointed Italian Minister for Education, Maria Chiara Carrozza. While the UK Government is not currently engaged in any discussions about whether to exclude Italy from the Erasmus or Bologna processes, we will continue to look at all available options to encourage a prompt resolution to this issue.

North Korea

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the viability of the resumption of Six Party Talks regarding the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea in 2013.

Hugo Swire: The decision on whether to resume the talks will ultimately be made by the parties involved: the United States, China, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Japan, Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). It is too early to tell whether the Six Party Talks, or any negotiations on the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, will take place in 2013. We are maintaining close contact with all parties and welcome the recent Presidential discussions between the US and China, US and RoK, and China and RoK.
	The UK is clear that the DPRK's long-term interests will only be served by dialogue with the international community. G8 leaders made clear in June 2013 that it is important that the DPRK approach any negotiations in an open, credible and authentic manner. A copy of the G8 Summit Communiqué can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2013-lough-erne-g8-leaders-communique

Russia and China

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the specific issues on which Russia and China continue to differ.

Hugo Swire: At the Russia-China summit, on 22 March, the two countries described their relationship as a strategic partnership. Within this partnership most economic and political differences are addressed in private, however some have been set out in public. This does not affect the UK's determination to pursue stronger political and commercial relationships with both countries.

HEALTH

Arthritis

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that people living with osteoarthritis are able to access essential physiotherapy, exercise facilities and weight management services.

Norman Lamb: Through our Mandate to the NHS, we have asked NHS England to make measurable progress towards making our health service among the best in Europe at supporting people with ongoing health problems, such as osteoarthritis, to live healthily and independently, with much better control over the care they receive. The NHS Outcomes Framework contains the indicators that will be used to hold NHS England to account for making progress.
	It is for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in partnership with local stakeholders, including local government and the public to assess the needs of their, local population and to commission services accordingly. CCGs will work closely with public health colleagues in this assessment to address local needs within the health community including physiotherapy.
	Local authorities are now responsible for commissioning weight management services. Public Health England (PHE) is actively engaged in exploring ways in which the new public health system can support older people with long-term conditions and disabilities to maximise their health and wellbeing. PHE will work with and support local authorities to tackle obesity and is currently developing its work programme to do this. The programme will include support to local authorities to commission weight management services in England.

Arthritis

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will take steps to raise awareness of the rights of people with osteoarthritis to joint replacement surgery within 18 weeks of referral as set out in the NHS Constitution.

Norman Lamb: As set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, delivery of the NHS Constitution maximum waiting time right is a matter for NHS England and clinical commissioning groups as commissioners.
	We are advised by NHS England that it is shortly due to publish guidance to commissioners to ensure non-emergency consultant-led treatment takes place as described in the NHS Constitution, including access to joint replacement surgery within 18 weeks of referral for people with osteoarthritis.

Cancer: Worcestershire

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Worcestershire have received funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund in each of the last three years.

Norman Lamb: Information on patients funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund is not collected at county level.
	Information on the number of patients who have had cancer drugs funded by West Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA) for the period October 2010 to end March 2013 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 SHA West Midlands 
			  Number 
			 Number of patients funded in 2010-11 292 
			 Number of patients funded in 2011-12 1,658 
			 Number of patients funded in 2012-13 1,534 
			 Total number of patients funded since October 2010(1) 3,484 
			 (1) Some individual patients may be double-counted where a patient has received more than one drug treatment through the Cancer Drugs Fund. Source: Information provided to the Department by SHAs 
		
	
	Information on the numbers of patients benefiting from the Cancer Drugs Fund since NHS England took responsibility for the Fund from April 2013 is not yet available.

Cataracts

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for cataract treatment (a) in each region of the UK and (b) in the UK as measured by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: Health is a devolved matter. The Department is responsible for England and so is unable to provide the information for other areas of the United Kingdom.
	For cataract treatment in England during 2011-12, the mean waiting time for specialist assessment to treatment was 66.2 days.
	The median waiting time for specialist assessment to treatment was 59 days.

Cataracts

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England regarding the development of a NICE Quality Standard for Cataract; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to introduce a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Quality Standard for Cataract within the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Ministers have had no such discussions.
	'Cataracts' is included as a topic in the library of quality standards referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in March 2012. NHS England is now responsible for commissioning quality standards relating to NHS services from NICE and is responsible for liaising with NICE about the prioritisation of NHS quality standards in development.

Cataracts

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the cost of treating elderly patients with cataracts in hospitals in the latest year for which figures are available.

Daniel Poulter: The information is not available in the format requested.
	While the Department does collect the cost of cataract procedures in hospitals, they are not sufficiently detailed to show the costs of treating elderly patients with cataracts.
	The following table contains total reported cost information from the 2011-12 reference costs (the most recent year for which data has been published) for collection categories which relate explicitly to cataracts.
	
		
			 Code Description Total cost(1, 2) (£ million) 
			 BZ01Z Enhanced Cataract Surgery 9.6 
			 BZ02Z Phacoemulsification Cataract Extraction and Lens Implant 240.8 
			 BZ03Z Non-Phacoemulsification Cataract Surgery 5.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Total(3)  255.5 
			 (1) The total reported cost figures have been rounded to the nearest £100,000 and cover day case, elective (including excess bed days), non-elective (including excess bed days), outpatient procedure and regular day/night attender activity. (2) The figures do not include the cost of any treatment provided as part of an out-patient attendance. This is because costs relating to cataract treatment in this setting are not collected separately, but will be included in the total cost of out-patient attendances for ophthalmology, which in 2011-12 was £486.4 million, (3) The total may not sum due to rounding. Source: www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-reference-costs-financial-year-2011-to-2012

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to reviewing primary care registration for all people in England registered with GPs as part of his review of migrant access to the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Following the Department's review of migrant access to the national health service, the Government is now consulting on proposals to amend the current rules and procedures for charging visitors and migrants for NHS care. These proposals include extending charges for general practitioner (GP) services, but not for registering with a practice.
	We are not proposing to review primary care registration for all people in England registered with GPs. The new registration system proposal is intended to operate from the first point of registration with the NHS, and so will impact only on people newly arriving from abroad. However, consideration will be given at a later date to identify those who are already registered but who should be chargeable.

Health Visitors: Bury

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment on whether families in Bury North constituency are receiving all the services they are entitled to from the Health Visiting Service.

Daniel Poulter: NHS England is responsible for commissioning health visiting services in England. Since May 2010, the health visiting work force has grown by more than 1,000 extra health visitors (full-time equivalent).
	NHS England uses a national service specification(1) which is intended to ensure that health visiting services across the country are commissioned in a consistent way which promotes high standards of care quality and outcomes, while also allowing flexibility to tailor services according to local needs. The national service specification builds upon the Healthy Child Programme and reflects the evidence base which supports the importance of providing good early years care to children.
	NHS England has developed a performance report framework to support the. delivery of the national service specification and will seek regular assurance from their area teams to ensure the core national service requirements are being met across the country.
	(1) The national service specification is available on NHS England's website:
	www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/qual-din-lead/hlth-vistg-prog/

Heart Diseases: Children

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will impose a moratorium on new appointments and the filling of vacancies for senior posts in children's heart units until all the issues connected with the Safe and Sustainable Review have been brought to a conclusion.

Anna Soubry: Following a full and independent review of the Safe and Sustainable review by the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP), their report was submitted to the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), on 30 April 2013.
	In the Secretary of State's statement to Parliament of 12 June 2013, we accepted the IRP's recommendations, and NHS England must now move forward on the basis of these recommendations.
	The recommendations set out what the IRP consider needs to be done to bring about the desired improvements in services in a way that addresses gaps and weaknesses in the original proposals. The IRP did not recommend a moratorium on the appointment to senior posts in children's heart units.
	Trusts need the ability to appoint senior staff if they are needed to provide a safe, high quality service. In making any such appointment, we would expect trusts to take account of the fact that the Safe and Sustainable Review has not yet concluded.

Hospitals: Consultants

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce shortages of consultants in (a) deprived areas, (b) geriatric medicine and (c) other areas; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: Health Education England (HEE) was established to support the delivery of excellent healthcare and health improvement to patients and the public in England. HEE will work to ensure that the national health service has a workforce with the right numbers, skills, values and behaviours across all specialist areas.
	HEE is working with its local education and training boards across all areas of England to ensure that all NHS organisations have available the right number of staff that they require to provide care to patients.
	In 2010 the Centre for Workforce Intelligence suggested an increase in national geriatric training numbers (NTNs) over three years. As a result of this:
	In 2011 an extra 15 NTNs were allocated in England;
	In 2012 an extra seven NTNs were allocated in England; and
	In 2013 an extra 15 NTNs are currently in the process of being allocated in England.
	In the recent round-one of recruitment for 2013,109 NTNs in England were filled (84%) of all posts. Any remaining vacancies will be handed back to trusts to fill locally with locums for service.
	In taking its wider work programme forward and ensuring that the NHS has available the right number of staff across all specialities, HEE has also established specific specialist groups and taskforces to look at work force issues in:
	Acute Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Acute Care Specialities Working Group;
	Emergency Medicine Workforce; and
	General Practice.

Nutrition: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of trends in the consumption of fruit and vegetables by children over the last 10 years.

Anna Soubry: The Health Survey for England has collected information on children's fruit and vegetable consumption since 2001. Between 2001 and 2004, there were no significant changes in mean portions of fruit and vegetables consumed among children aged 5-15, but there was an increase in 2005 in the average number of portions of fruit and vegetables eaten daily. There was a further significant increase among girls in 2006.
	In 2011, the survey(1) estimated boys consumed an average of 3.0 portions of fruit and vegetables per day and girls an average of 3.3, compared with an average of between 2.4 and 2.7 portions per day among boys and between 2.6 and 2.7 portions per day among girls between 2001 and 2004.
	(1 )Health Survey for England—2011, Health, social care and lifestyles
	www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB09300

Older People: Domestic Accidents

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to implement the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guidance clinical practice guideline for the assessment and prevention of falls in older people; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: This is matter for local commissioners of health and care to determine, having regard to their duties and available evidence.
	Clinical guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and are developed through wide consultation with stakeholders. They represent best practice and we expect the national health service to take them into account in its decision making.
	As a commissioner of services, NICE quality standards and clinical guidelines will enable NHS England to be confident that the services they are purchasing are high quality and cost effective and focussed on driving up quality.
	We are informed by NHS England that the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership will continue to ensure that National Clinical Audits align wherever appropriate with NICE guidance. As part of the Falls and Fragility Fractures Audit Programme, there will be a second-stage pilot for an inpatient falls audit, due to take place by end of this year. If the pilot is successful, a full national audit may then be commissioned.

Radiotherapy

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of new radiotherapy machines needed to allow all cancer centres in England to deliver Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy to 24 per cent of patients as recommended by the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group by the end of 2013.

Anna Soubry: The Department's report, Radiotherapy Services in England 2012, published in November 2012, stated that almost 100% of radiotherapy machines were already technically capable of delivering Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT). IMRT was available in 48 of 50 centres but only four of these were delivering inverse planned IMRT to at least 24% of their patients.
	The £23 million Radiotherapy Innovation Fund was designed to support radiotherapy centres to prepare to deliver 24% of radical (curative) treatments using IMRT from 1 April 2013 by providing technology or devices that enhanced the capability of existing equipment, not by purchasing additional radiotherapy machines.
	Over half of radiotherapy centres are now delivering at least 24% of radical treatment using IMRT. NHS England is working with providers to ensure that radiotherapy centres can deliver 24% of treatment with IMRT as quickly as possible. It is currently anticipated that that all centres will have to the capacity to deliver this by the end of December 2013.

PRIME MINISTER

Cabinet Manual

Graham Allen: To ask the Prime Minister when he intends to produce the next periodic update of the Cabinet Manual; and what steps he will take to ensure the updated text is the product of full parliamentary and public consultation.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the “Government Response to the House of Lords Constitution Committee, Political and Constitutional Reform Committee and Public Administration Select Committee on the Cabinet Manual Committee”, page 32, published in October 2011. A copy can be found in the Library of the House, or online at:
	www.gov.uk

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department allocated to fund alternatives to using animals in experiments in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and how much of this funding was allocated for (i) replacement, (ii) reduction and (iii) refinement.

Jeremy Browne: The Home Office make payments of £250,000 per annum to the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). It is for the NC3Rs to determine how those funds are allocated.
	A significant part of the resource in the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit is working towards the development of reduction, refinement and replacement alternatives (the 3Rs) to the use of animals in scientific procedures. Home Office Inspectors do this as part of their inspection role and when assessing applications for project licences. Policy staff, in association with colleagues in other Government Departments are actively taking forward the Coalition Commitment published in 2010 to work towards reducing the use of animals in research which involves promoting all 3Rs. It is not possible to quantify the value of this resource.

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any national laboratories have been nominated to assist the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods in the validation of alternative methods in line with Article 47 (2) of European Directive 2010/63/EU.

James Brokenshire: None of the establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been nominated to assist the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods in the validation of alternative methods in line with Article 47 (2) of European Directive 2010/63/EU.
	While there is significant experience and expertise in the UK, until we know what the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods requires investigating, the tests to be validated and how funded, we are unable to determine which of the establishments to nominate or suggest that they nominate themselves. We continue to closely monitor the situation.

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how her Department plans to promote alternative methods to procedures on animals and disseminating information thereon in accordance with Article 47 (4) of European Directive 2010/63/EU.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Inspectors play a key role in the promotion of alternative methods to procedures on animals and disseminating information. All project licence applications are referred to inspectors who analyse the information provided, referring to colleagues or other experts, as necessary, to ensure appropriate application of the 3Rs at the inception of the project. Applications are also scrutinised by licensed establishments before submission. The establishment holder has a responsibility, under the legislation, (standard condition 1) to ensure that regulated activities are carried out in a manner consistent with the principles of the 3Rs. Visits by Inspectors to licensed establishments enable them to scrutinise ongoing programmes of work, advise those working, under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) on the application of best practice with respect to the 3Rs: replacement, reduction and refinement.
	The Inspectors also have an outreach commitment which includes presenting at and attending meetings to promote the requirements of ASPA, with an emphasis on recognition of where the 3Rs might be applied and facilitating links between research groups to carry these forward from both strategic and practical perspectives.
	The commitment to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research is being delivered through a science-led programme led by the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). Their ARRIVE guidelines are intended to improve the reporting of animal research. Previous work by the NC3Rs showed that many publications lacked key information, which could limit their value in informing future scientific studies and policy. The Home Office is promoting the guidelines to project licence holders.
	The NC3Rs has also launched its new Evaluation Framework, the first ever attempt to systematically benchmark the impact of 3Rs programmes. As well as enabling robust evaluation of the Centre's work to replace, reduce and refine animal use, the Evaluation Framework has the potential to complement the Home Office annual statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals and become a barometer of the application of the 3Rs in the UK.
	The coalition has made a commitment to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research; an ambitious, but essential and achievable goal that encompasses the 3Rs. The programme will exert influence both domestically and at an international level. The delivery of the commitment involves Government Departments and agencies, the Home Office Inspectorate, the research community in both academia and industry, and others with relevant animal welfare interests. Of key importance is the involvement of the NC3Rs. We envisage making a statement in the autumn to present our action plan and announce progress to date.

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department has committed to continuing the development and validation of alternative approaches to procedures on animals in 2013 and beyond in accordance with Article 47 (1) of European Directive 2010/63/EU.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has made a payment of £250,000 to the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) for each year since it was founded. In line with the coalition agreement to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research we are committed to continuing the development and validation of non-animal alternatives.

Drugs: Crime

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug offences relating to Class A substances have been reported in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) Barnsley, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) England since 2010; and what proportion of national offences relating to Class A substances such figures represent.

Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not available centrally. The police recorded crime data collected by the Home Office contains the number of drug offences recorded but it is not possible to identify the class of the drug involved.

Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of all food procured for her Department was sourced from (a) British producers, (b) small and medium-sized enterprises and (c) producers which met British buying standards in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not directly contract for food supplies but procures catering services through wider facilities management or operating service contracts.
	Suppliers have been made aware of the Government Buying Standards (GBS) criteria and their report against GBS criteria, which includes information on the proportion of food sourced from UK suppliers, is available on the Home Office website, see web page:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-procurement-reporting--2
	For 2 Marsham street an estimate given in spring showed that food sourced from producers which met British buying standards equalled 95%. Other information on food procurement is not collected.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Independent Police Complaints Commissioner; when each such meeting took place; what issues were discussed; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Cabinet Office website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-ministers-gifts-and-hospitality-oct-2012-to-dec-2012

Independent Police Complaints Commission

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many (a) independent investigations, (b) managed investigations and (c) supervised investigations involving the Independent Police Complaints Commission there were in each year since 2004; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many (a) complaints and (b) appeals were upheld by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (i) in each police force area and (ii) by age of complainant in (A) 2009-10, (B) 2010-11, (C) 2011-12 and (D) to date in 2012-13.

Damian Green: This information is available on the Independent Police Complaints Commission's website at:
	www.ipcc.gov.uk

Members: Correspondence

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letters she has received from the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling dated 14 March, 2 May, 22 May and 26 June 2013 on behalf of his constituent, Mrs Rene Siu-Ling Chung.

Mark Harper: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 3 July 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to provide an urgent response to the letter from the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion dated 2 July 2013 regarding the cases of Ms Noushin Afaghzadeh.

Mark Harper: holding answer 9 July 2013
	I wrote to the hon. Member on 11 July 2013.

Olympic Games 2012

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extra visa applications the UK Border Agency received as a result of the London 2012 Olympic Games in comparison to previous years.

Mark Harper: holding answer 1 July 2013
	The Home Office publishes data on visit visa applications received and the outcomes of these applications, on an annual and quarterly basis. However, these data are not disaggregated by the purpose of the visit, so while we are able to advise how many visit visa applications were received in 2012 compared to previous years, we cannot specify how many extra applications were received as a result of the London 2012 Olympic Games, as this would require the examination of individual records, which would incur disproportionate costs.
	A total of 1,956,304 visit visa applications were received in 2012. This compares to 1,924,345 visit visa applications received in 2011, and 1,762,298 applications received in 2010(1).
	On 19 April 2013, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published an article on “Visits to the UK for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympics”, as part of its Travel Trends 2012 release. The article estimated that 698,000 overseas residents completed a visit to the UK, primarily for an Olympics/Paralympics-related purpose (471,000 visits), or primarily for another purpose but went to a ticketed London 2012 event (227,000).
	A full copy of the article can be found on the ONS website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ott/travel-trends/2012/sty-visits-to-the-uk.html
	(1)( )Notes:
	1. Figures extracted from "Table be_1_q: Entry clearance visa applications and resolution by category" available here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2013
	2. Figures relate to main applicants and dependants.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Land Use

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice he has issued to planning authorities and the Planning Inspectorate on building on agricultural land.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 9 July 2013
	Department for Communities and Local Government are the Government lead on planning policy. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) introduced in March 2012, puts decision making in the hands of local planning authorities and communities.
	The NPPF gives a framework for decisions to encourage re-use of land that has been previously developed (brownfield land), provided that it is not of high environmental values. Local planning authorities are encouraged to take into account the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. Where significant development of agricultural land is deemed to be necessary, local planning authorities are encouraged to use poorer quality land, in preference to high quality. If a development proposal involves the loss of 20 or more hectares of the best and most versatile land (Grades 1, 2 and 3a) Natural England on behalf of DEFRA, will be consulted. The decision on how significant the agricultural land issues are remains with the local planning authority.

Bees

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what comparative assessment he has made of the contribution to maintaining the scale of UK bee colonies made by (a) amateur and (b) professional beekeepers; what the reason is for the disparity in grants provided by his Department for training and other beekeeping promotional activities to (i) the amateur British Beekeepers' Association and (ii) the professional Bee Farmers' Association; and what assessment he has made of the lessons that can be learned in England and Wales from steps taken in (A) Scotland and (B) overseas countries to tackle serious losses in bee colony totals.

David Heath: holding answer 4 July 2013
	In 2008, a report by Imperial College Consultants Limited estimated that there were 44,000 beekeepers in the UK, with a total of 274,000 hives. Of these some 300 were commercial beekeepers (members of the Bee Farmers' Association (BFA)) with 50,000 hives. As there is no requirement for beekeepers to register we remain reliant on surveys such as these to make comparisons.
	The Healthy Bees Plan is a 10-year plan launched in 2009 to protect and improve the health of honey bees in England and Wales. It is overseen by amateur and professional beekeepers (including the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) and BFA) as part of their role as members of the Bee Health Advisory Forum, previously the Healthy Bees Project Management Board.
	A key objective of the Plan is to improve beekeeper husbandry skills; DEFRA is working in partnership with the bee stakeholders to deliver this through a coordinated training and education programme. Some funds are available through the Plan for stakeholders such as BBKA and BFA to develop and deliver education initiatives.
	Applications for funding have been taken on a case-by-case basis, assessed by the Advisory Forum and measured against their potential to deliver on key performance indicators of the Plan. While the total amount of funding available is limited, and bidders are aware of this, the amount they bid for is at their discretion and they need to provide matched funding. Applications in 2012-13 and 2013-14 have included bids from both BFA and BBKA. They received funding for their different bids in 2012-13, which totalled £10,000 for BFA and £30,076 for BBKA, the full amount applied for in both cases. Bids for 2013-14 are currently being assessed by the Advisory Forum.
	EPILOBEE is an. EU project looking at losses of bees and the causes of losses and involves 17 member states. We hope to learn lessons from the assessment of this data. In addition, the National Bee Unit (NBU) is also assessing the yearly husbandry survey where feedback to questions posed to beekeepers may provide an insight that will support the development of future best practice. This data is due for publication later this summer.
	The NBU will also be working with the BFA, BBKA and other stakeholders to develop better ways of controlling bee pests and diseases in line with the recommendations and evidence gathered in the recent consultation on the bee health programme.
	The NBU was asked for help in 2011 following catastrophic losses, by bee farmers in particular, from bee disease in Scotland. The NBU advised on the setting up of the Scottish system and enabled Scottish beekeepers to use the BeeBase database to record and monitor inspections and disease outbreaks.

Food: Low Incomes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what analysis he has undertaken into the effects of food poverty on children's educational attainment.

David Laws: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Education.
	Evidence suggests a link between nutrition and educational outcomes, including attainment, cognition and behaviour. An unhealthy diet and poor nutrition has a negative impact on children's attention span, cognitive abilities and behaviour(1).
	The Government recognises the benefits of healthy school meals and is committed to continuing to provide free school meals to families who need them. Entitlement to free school meals is targeted on the most disadvantaged children(2).
	(1) Sorhaindo and Feinstein, 2006; Bellisle, 2004
	(2) Bellisle, F. (2004) Effects of diet on behaviour and cognition in children. British Journal of Nutrition, October 2004, Volume 92, Supplement S2, pp S227-232.
	Feinstein, L. and Sorhaindo, A. (2006). What is the relationship between child nutrition and school outcomes? Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning.

Forests

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what percentage increase in woodland under active management is expected over the next five years; and what proportion of that increase will be coniferous commercial forestry stands;
	(2)  what proportion of the woodland brought under active management between April 2011 and December 2012 was commercial coniferous forestry.

David Heath: Commercial coniferous forestry is not a recognised designation used by the Forestry Commission in its performance indicators for England or the National Forest Inventory. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that coniferous woodland in active management is for commercial purposes.
	The proportion of all woodland in active management in England increased from 52% in April 2011 to 53% in December 2012. Less than 3% of this 1% increase was conifer woodland.
	In January 2013 DEFRA's Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement for England set out our aspiration to increase the percentage of woodland in management. We estimate that the shared programme of activities could bring two thirds of woodland into active management in the next five years. This would be an increase of nearly 14% from the position at December 2012.
	We have not specified whether the increase will be in conifer or broadleaf woodland.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what safety assessment he has made of the recent findings by the European Food Safety Authority's scientists of a potentially harmful hidden viral gene in 54 of 86 genetically modified crops commercialised to date in the US.

David Heath: This issue has been considered by two independent expert groups; the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes. Neither Committee identified any cause for concern in relation to the safety assessment of GM crops and foods. The reports of their discussions are available respectively, here:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/acre/files/acre-minutes-7Feb.pdf
	and here:
	http://acnfp.food.gov.uk/meetings/acnfpmeet13/acnfpmeet13feb/acnfpmin13feb
	The European Food Safety Authority has itself refuted the claim that the research paper in question raises new safety questions. Its advice is available here:
	http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/faqs/faqinsertedfragmentofviralgeneingmplants.htm#1

Plastics: Recycling

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department provides to companies on the most effective way to recycle plastics.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not provide such guidance to companies but supports the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). WRAP'S 'Halving Waste to Landfill' commitment has helped to encourage waste prevention and recycling in the construction industry. WRAP is also developing a Plastics Action Plan with industry to promote increased recycling through a range of initiatives.

Plastics: Recycling

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much plastic has been recycled in each of the last three years.

Richard Benyon: Based on data returns submitted by plastics reprocessors to the Environment Agency under the Packaging Directive requirements, the following tonnages of waste plastic packaging were received for reprocessing in the UK or were exported for recycling:
	
		
			  Total (tonnage) 
			 2012 644,139 
			 2011 606,063 
			 2010 596,920 
			 Source: Environment Agency 
		
	
	The figures provided are for plastic packaging waste only. This is the best data set we have on plastics waste for recycling.

Sea Level: Dorset

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any estimates have been made of rises in sea levels on the Dorset coast over the next 30 years; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Coastal erosion risk mapping data (which is closely related to rises in sea levels) was published on the Environment Agency website in April 2012. This covered many parts of England and Wales, including the Dorset coastline. This data shows erosion predicted over the short term (to about 2030), medium term (to about 2060) and long term (to about 2100).
	The Environment Agency is working with partners to resolve outstanding issues with the existing National Coastal Erosion Risk Map. A follow-up project—where local authorities have given permission for the data to be published, begins in July 2013.
	The Environment Agency is not planning a further update of the National Coastal Erosion Risk Map at this stage.

Serco

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department currently spends on contracts with Serco; and how much was spent in each year since 2008.

Richard Benyon: The table details the Core Department's spend on services from Serco from 2008-09 to 2012-13. Core DEFRA has spent a total of a further £122,428.26 so far this financial year. All expenditure stated is inclusive of VAT.
	
		
			 Serco Ltd 
			  £ 
			 2008-09 1,642,952.03 
			 2009-10 1,804,292.00 
			 2010-11 785,314.24 
			 2011-12 586,352.26 
			 2012-13 546,635.24

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days on average staff of his Department in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last 12 months.

Richard Benyon: Sickness absence rates are calculated over a rolling 12 month period each quarter. The information requested on monthly absence rates could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost.
	The sickness absence rates for each grade in core DEFRA for the year to 31 March 2013 are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Grade Average working days lost due to sickness 
			 AA 4.6 
			 AO 7.9 
			 EO 5.8 
			 HEO 4.9 
			 SEO 2.6 
			 Grade 7 2.0 
			 Grade 6 2.4 
			 SCS 1.4 
			 Overall 4.2

Sky Lanterns

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will urgently review the use of Chinese lanterns; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: holding answer 9 July 2013
	DEFRA recognised that farmers had concerns about the potential risks posed by sky (Chinese) lanterns and commissioned, jointly with the Welsh Government, a project to identify and assess the impacts and risks associated with them. The report has recently been published and can be found at:
	http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu =Menu&Module= More&Location=None&Completed=2&ProjectID=18402
	Evidence from the report shows that overall the risks to animal health and welfare and to the environment are not sufficient to justify a ban. DEFRA has been working with other Government Departments in considering options for mitigating risks and discouraging the use of these lanterns. The report suggests that voluntary action taken by, for example, the hospitality sector, as well as publicity by DEFRA to raise public awareness of the potential risks, does work and we will continue to focus on this. Any future action government may take to regulate the use of sky lanterns will need to be proportionate to the problem and backed by reliable evidence.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy Security

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the UK’s energy security.

Michael Fallon: In November 2012 this Government published an Energy Security Strategy, which provides an assessment of the UK's energy security outlook and sets out the range of policies the Government has in place for ensuring secure energy supplies.
	The Government also published its annual Statutory Security of Supply report which looks at the security of supply across electricity, gas and oil.

Energy

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of levels of investment in energy infrastructure.

Edward Davey: Average annual investment in energy infrastructure from 2010 to 2012 has been £8.5 billion, more than double the average for 1997 to 2010. Our electricity market reform and other measures are designed to continue this investment surge and sustain it.

Energy

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to safeguard the UK's energy security by means of shale gas and other resources.

Michael Fallon: Shale gas activity in the UK is very much in its infancy and it is too early to make any useful assessment on the impact of domestic shale gas production on UK energy security. DECC will continue to monitor the potential effect of shale gas on the UK's security of energy supply.
	However, the Government is clear that if significant resource could be developed in a safe and environmentally sustainable way, this would bring benefits to the UK in terms of jobs and energy security. The Government is therefore committed to enable the exploration of UK shale gas in a safe and environmentally sustainable way to establish its potential.
	Recent analysis presents a robust picture of the outlook for the UK's gas security of supply. However we are not complacent and we are currently analysing whether there is a case for an extra intervention in the gas market to increase gas supply security.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his Department's Domestic Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation in Great Britain, Monthly report published 27 June 2013, what the interest rates of the four Green Deal Plans described as pending are.

Gregory Barker: The interest rate of an individual Green Deal Plan is a private transaction between the customer and the Green Deal Provider and so will not be published.
	Interest rates are set by the individual Green Deal Providers; however the Green Deal Finance Company is offering a rate of 6.96%, plus administration fees, which is available to over 80% of the population.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2013, Official Report, column 460W, on the Green Deal Scheme, how many Green Deal apprentices in each local authority area have completed their training.

Gregory Barker: DECC does not hold this information.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2013, Official Report, column 460W, on the Green Deal Scheme, what criteria Asset Skills and Construction Skills have used to allocate funding for the training of Green Deal apprentices.

Gregory Barker: Asset Skills undertook a competitive tendering process for the delivery of the Government funded Green Deal adviser training across Great Britain through three models training providers, Green Deal providers and regional initiatives. Criteria for the awards of contracts included demonstration of relevant delivery experience, quality assurance monitoring and price.
	For solid wall insulation installer training, individuals were invited to register via an on-line portal. Registered individuals were then profiled on a first come first served basis to identify training needs. Funding was allocated to give the best coverage possible to England, Scotland and Wales, while ensuring those selected would be able to achieve a qualification.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the average cost to an individual of completing PAS2030 training.

Gregory Barker: DECC does not hold specific information on PAS 2030 training costs/PAS 2030 training is delivered by the private sector. Costs will vary from one training provider to another and will depend on the type and amount of training required by each individual.

Offshore Industry

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Maitland Review of the regulatory regime for the UK offshore oil and gas industry; which recommendations are yet awaiting implementation; and when the senior oversight group expects to complete implementation of the Maitland recommendations.

Michael Fallon: As detailed in the Government Response to the Maitland Review, which was published on 18 December, the vast majority of the recommendations made in the Maitland review have been implemented. However, some work continues and where this is the case, timeframes for delivery have been put in place and detailed in the response. Further information is contained in the “Offshore Oil and Gas in the UK—Government Response to an Independent Review of the Regulatory Regime”. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-an-independent-review-of-the-regulatory-regime

Renewable Energy

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  when a decision will be made on the regulatory licence treatment of the transmission cables of directly connected offshore renewable energy projects that are located outside of the UK; and whether such a decision will be announced in advance of an intergovernmental agreement signed by the UK and Ireland on renewable energy trading;
	(2)  whether his Department has held discussions with Ofgem on whether the transmission cables for directly connected offshore renewable energy projects located outside of the UK can be treated as a generator spur; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether his Department has held discussions with Ofgem to determine the regulatory licensing treatment of transmission cables of offshore renewable energy projects located outside of the UK; what the estimated timetable for a decision on this regulatory treatment is; when the intergovernmental agreement between Ireland and the UK is expected to be signed; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  whether his Department has held discussions with Ofgem on whether the transmission cables for directly connected offshore renewable energy projects located outside of the UK can be treated with a derogated interconnector licence or a derogated transmission licence; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: The Government is considering its policy on overseas renewable energy projects, and published an update on this recently.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/response-to-call-for-evidence-on-renewable-energy-trading
	This document set out the issues and the timetable we are working to. Our policy work has included discussions with Ofgem on the licensing of the transmission asset.

Wind Power

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what measures to reduce the cost of offshore wind power generation to £100 per MWh by 2020 recommended by the Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task Force he has implemented to date.

Michael Fallon: The recommendations of the Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task Force are being implemented by the Offshore Wind Programme Board. Details of the Board's work, including meeting minutes and implementation updates, are published on the Crown Estate website:
	http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/energy-infrastructure/offshore-wind-energy/working-with-us/offshore-wind-programme-board/

Wind Power

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at what level per MWh the strike prices for offshore wind power generation have been set for (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020, expressed in 2012 prices.

Michael Fallon: The Department published the following draft strike prices on 27 June 2013 for consultation:
	
		
			 Draft strike prices for offshore wind (£/MWh) (2012 prices) 
			  Draft strike price 
			 2014-15 155 
			 2015-16 155 
			 2016-17 150 
			 2017-18 140 
			 2018-19 135 
		
	
	The prices are for projects commissioning in that financial year e.g. a developer signing a CfD contract in 2015 and commissioning their windfarm in June 2018 would receive £135/MWh,
	The Department has not yet set draft strike prices for 2019-20 or 2020-21.

Wind Power

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in reducing the cost of offshore wind power generation to £100 per MWh by 2020.

Michael Fallon: We are providing a stable framework for future investment through the new Contract for Difference support mechanism, which reduces risk for investors and will help to drive down costs. We published draft Strike Prices ahead of schedule in June. These set out a degression of strike prices to 2018-19, which reflects our expectation that costs will fall.
	Government is supporting a range of research, development and demonstration projects designed to support innovative new technologies that can reduce the cost of offshore wind deployment, and is also supporting investments in a broad, competitive and innovative offshore wind supply chain.
	Following the work of the Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task Force, we have established an industry-led Offshore Wind Programme Board to implement the taskforce's recommendations. Details of its progress, including meeting minutes and implementation updates, are published on the Crown Estate website:
	www.thecrownestate.co.uk/energy-infrastructure/offshore-wind-energy/working-with-us/offshore-wind-programme-board/

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Accountancy

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on contracts with (a) Deloitte, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) KPMG and (d) Ernst and Young in each year since 2008.

Jo Swinson: Since 2008, the Department has paid the following amounts:
	
		
			 Supplier 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Deloitte 3,009,034 2,801,967 920,809 2,685,439 944,238 2,611,695 
		
	
	
		
			 PWC 9,378,663 2,823,904 2,544,052 930,548 3,393,602 2,202,349 
			 KPMG 965,042 2,352,913 310,611 309,499 86,400 43,495 
			 Ernst and Young 739,403 190,325 113,341 25,002 76,577 36,000 
			 (1) To 30 June.

China

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in which industries increased trade and investment with China in 2013 is being sought.

Michael Fallon: The Government is taking a targeted approach to build on the complementarities between the Chinese and British economies and linking the priorities set out in China's 12th Five-Year Plan to our Industrial Strategy.
	We have identified three key areas of opportunity in which China's needs align with UK strengths: (1) China's rapid urbanisation and pressing need for low carbon design, construction, transport and healthcare solutions; (2) China's growing consumer class, particularly its demand for luxury goods and professional services; and (3) China's 'going global’ agenda, including outward investment, establishing China's brands globally and internationalising the Renminbi.
	In the first quarter of 2013, UK goods exports to China averaged over £1 billion a month. UK companies that are being supported by UKTI include JLR, which sold a record 73,347 vehicles in China in 2012, up 74% on 2011; Rolls Royce, which has signed £100 million worth of equipment contracts in China; and Astra Zeneca, which achieved record revenues in Q4 2012. Notable recent inward investment successes have included Dalian Wanda's £1 billion investment in the luxury boat-making and hotel sectors, and ABP's £1 billion investment to transform the Royal Albert Docks.
	Our priorities include: intensified targeted engagement with the Chinese private sector, building on the success of China Business Day during the Olympics; driving forward 12 High Value Opportunities programmes in mainland China and Hong Kong around China's ambitious infrastructure and healthcare plans, and continuing to increase the number of companies we directly support in market year-on-year.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much (a) he and (b) officials in his Department spent on external assistance to prepare for (i) appearances before select committees and (ii) contact with the media in (A) 2011-12 and (B) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has had no such assistance. Information regarding the Department's officials is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Green Investment Bank

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what contribution he expects the Green Investment Bank to make to green growth.

Michael Fallon: The Government expects the Green Investment Bank to play a key role in mobilising additional private sector capital and increasing the overall scale and pace of investment into the UK green economy. By providing finance to projects that have a strong green impact while making a strong commercial return on its capital, the Bank will help demonstrate to the wider market that investing in green projects makes sound commercial sense. To date the Bank has committed £635 million to 11 projects with a total value of £2.3 billion, mobilising almost £3 of additional capital for every £1 provided.

Private Sector: Pay

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of businesses paying salaries between the value of the minimum wage and the living wage; and how many workers would be in receipt of such salaries.

Jo Swinson: There is no universally agreed definition of a living wage. Therefore, we have made no such assessment.

Public Appointments

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase the representation of (a) women, (b) people with disabilities and (c) ethnic minorities on the boards of public bodies falling within his Department's area of responsibility.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to having a strong and diverse membership on all boards of public bodies falling within its responsibility. The department works closely with the Commission for Public Appointments (OCPA) and the Centre for Public Appointments, based in the Cabinet Office, to ensure it addresses all aspects of the appointments process, with a focus on diversity.
	In building diversity considerations into the process, steps include publicising adverts widely through different channels and via the department's external Equality Advisory Group; ensuring role and person specifications are concise and focus on the important key skills, competencies and knowledge; and the language used does not discourage under-represented groups from applying. The Department also encourages boards to explore more flexible ways of working and encourages the sharing of good practice.

Senior Civil Servants

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many senior civil servants left his Department and public bodies under voluntary exit and received a severance payment in each of the last three years; and what the value of such payments was.

Jo Swinson: The following table shows how many senior civil servants left the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills under an exit scheme in the last three years.
	
		
			  Voluntary exits Voluntary redundancies 
			  Number Cost (£) Number Cost (£) 
			 2010-11 14 2,487,068 0 0 
			 2011-12 0 0 11 1,483,029 
			 2012-13 <5 300,196 0 0 
		
	
	Information concerning the Department's non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Transport: Cross Border Cooperation

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to encourage work between local enterprise partnerships, local transport boards and transport authorities on cross-border transport issues.

Michael Fallon: The Government encourages all local enterprise partnerships and local transport bodies to co-operate on issues that cross their borders where it makes sense to do so.

Young People: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate the UK Statistics Authority has made of the number of young people aged 16 to 24 in York in (a) training, (b) employment and (c) education in each year since 1995-96.

Matthew Hancock: The tables show the number (Table 1) and proportion (Table 2) of people aged 16 to 24(1) in employment, education and training in York from 2000 to 2012. These estimates are from the Annual Population Survey. Due to the structure of the questions on the survey we are unable to identify education and training separately. Estimates prior to 2000 are not available. Given the small sample sizes, care should be taken in interpreting these data.
	(1) Source—Annual Population Survey (January to December).
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of 16 to 24-year-olds in employment, education and training in York local authority 
			  In employment In education or training Not in employment, education or training (NEET) Population 
			 2000(2) 16,000 13,000 2,000 22,000 
			 2001(2) 15,000 13,000 2,000 22,000 
			 2002(2) 15,000 13,000 2,000 22,000 
			 2003(2) 16,000 15,000 2,000 24,000 
			 2004 17,000 15,000 1,000 24,000 
			 2005 14,000 15,000 2,000 24,000 
			 2006 16,000 13,000 5,000 27,000 
			 2007 17,000 13,000 4,000 27,000 
			 2008 20,000 19,000 1,000 31,000 
			 2009 17,000 19,000 3,000 29,000 
			 2010 14,000 22,000 2,000 29,000 
			 2011 15,000 15,000 3,000 27,000 
			 2012 18,000 17,000 2,000 29,000 
			      
			 2012 confidence interval +/- 2,000 +/-2,000 +/-1,000  
			 (1) Source—Annual Population Survey (January to December). (2 )These estimates are from the Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey, the predecessor to the Annual Population Survey. This covers the period from March in the given year to the following year. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds in employment, education and training in York local authority 
			 Percentage 
			  In employment In education or training Not in employment, education or training (NEET) 
			 2000(2) 74.1 59.6 9.7 
			 2001(2) 65.9 57.9 9.6 
			 2002(2) 69.8 57.7 8.6 
			 2003(2) 67.5 63.4 8.3 
			 2004 71.4 63.3 5.0 
			 2005 60.3 62.7 7.6 
			 2006 58.9 49.7 17.1 
			 2007 61.6 47.2 15.5 
			 2008 66.4 60.4 4.2 
			 2009 57.6 65.6 10.0 
			 2010 49.6 74.1 7.4 
			 2011 57.9 56.3 11.5 
			 2012 61.0 59.3 6.1 
		
	
	
		
			     
			 2012 confidence interval +/-7.4%pt +/-7.4%pt +/-3.6%pt 
			 (1) Source—Annual Population Survey (January to December) (2 )These estimates are from the Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey, the predecessor to the Annual Population Survey. This covers the period from March in the given year to the following year. 
		
	
	Quarterly estimates of the number of people aged 16-24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) derived from the Labour Force Survey are published by the Department for Education. The latest publication can be found online at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neet-statistics-quarterly-brief-quarter-1-2013
	Given the small sample sizes, it is not possible to use the annual population survey to provide figures for young people at age 16, 17 and 18. Instead Table 3 as follows uses information provided by local authorities to show the number and proportion of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in full-time education and full-time education, employment or training at the end of December 2012 who were resident in York and Yorkshire and the Humber. This data is not available for young people aged 19 and above. Figures for Yorkshire and the Humber exclude the East Riding of Yorkshire, which did not provide data.
	
		
			 Table 3: Proportion of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in full-time education and full time education, training and employment—December 2012 
			  Age 16 Age 17 Age 18 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 Full time education       
			 York 1,583 88 1,580 81 1,037 52 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 46,001 83 42,495 74 28,568 49 
			        
			 Full time education, employment and training       
			 York 1,719 96 1,774 91 1,592 80 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 50,838 91 50,686 89 42,338 73 
		
	
	The figures do not include young people undertaking part time education, taking a gap year at age 18 or those whose current activity is not known to the local authority. Estimates of the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment and training in each local authority are made available on the Department for Education's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/participation/neet/a0064101/16-to-18-year-olds-not-in-education,-employment-or-training
	Notes on the Statistics:
	Tables 1 and 2:
	(a) This uses academic age, which is defined as their age at the preceding 31 August.
	(b) These estimates are subject to sampling variability and should therefore be viewed in conjunction with the Confidence Interval (CI), given at 95%. This indicates how accurate the estimate is. For example, a CI of +/-7.4 percentage points (%pt) means that the true value is between 7.4%pt above the estimate and 7.4%pt below the estimate.

TREASURY

Capital Gains and Inheritance Tax: High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he proposes it will be necessary for capital gains tax to be paid on compulsorily purchased land as a result of High Speed 2;
	(2)  whether he proposes it will be necessary for inheritance tax to be paid on agricultural land which is to be compulsorily purchased as a result of High Speed 2.

Danny Alexander: The Government will apply the existing rules relating to capital gains tax and inheritance tax to proceeds arising from land compulsory purchased as a result of High Speed 2. If the land is sold during the lifetime of the land owner no IHT is due at that time.
	Details of the existing rules can be found online at:
	Capital gains tax for individuals:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cgt/index.htm
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/hs292.pdf
	Chargeable gains for companies:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ct/managing/company-tax-return/returns/chargeable-gain.htm
	Inheritance tax:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/inheritancetax/index.htm
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/inheritancetax/how-to-value-estate/land.htm

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2013, Official Report, column 669W, on Revenue and Customs Northern Ireland, whether he has visited Northern Ireland to discuss fuel laundering and related criminal activities.

Sajid Javid: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), has previously visited Northern Ireland, including most recently the G8 summit in Lough Erne.
	As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to release details of all such meetings.

Infrastructure

Helen Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the expected spending profile over time of the total infrastructure plans published in investing in Britain's future disaggregating (a) roads, (b) rail, (c) energy, (d) science and innovation, (e) housing, (f) digital communications, (g) local growth measures and (h) other sectors.

Danny Alexander: A financial year breakdown of road and rail schemes is included on page eight of “Investing in Britain's Future”.
	Energy announcements made in the spending round are based on private sector investment. This will be supported by the Levy Control Framework, details of which can be found in Electricity Market Reform: Delivering UK Investment.
	The government has also committed £7 billion for science over the financial years 2015-16 to 2020-21, £3.3 billion for affordable housing over the financial years 2015-16 to 2017-19, £0.25 billion additional for digital communications (broadband) over 2015-16 and 2016-17, at least £2 billion p.a. for the Single Local Growth Fund for the financial years 2015-16 to 2020-21, £21 billion for schools over the financial years 2015-16 to 2020-21, and £2.3 billion for flood defences over the financial years 2015-16 to 2020-21.

Long Term Unemployed People

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of creating a full-time job for six months paid at the minimum wage for all people aged 25 and over who have been unemployed for over two years in 2015-16 according to (a) his Department's claimant count forecasts and (b) independent labour organisation unemployment forecasts.

David Gauke: The Treasury has made no such estimate.
	The UK labour market is showing some signs of recovery with more people in work than under any previous Government.
	To support long-term and vulnerable jobseekers, the Government launched the Work Programme in June 2011. The Work Programme is moving an increasing number of people off benefit and into work and keeping them in employment. Since June 2011, the Work Programme has supported over 1.2 million long-term unemployed, of which 335,000 are young people (18-24).

Newspaper Press: Internet

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on how much income is generated from online newspaper downloads to tablets and other mobile devices.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs holds no information on how much income is generated from online newspaper downloads to tablets and other mobile devices.

Public Sector Debt

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all property and other chattels that have been bequeathed to the nation over the last decade for the purpose of reducing the national debt where the sale has been overseen by the Treasury Solicitor and from which the proceeds have been handed over to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt; and if, for each item bequeathed, he will give (a) a description and (b) how much was raised and handed over. [Official Report, 13 September 2013, Vol. 567, c. 16MC.]

Sajid Javid: A search of the Department's records has disclosed one case in which the Treasury Solicitor oversaw the realisation of property, with proceeds handed over to the Commissioners. That was a bequest which was realised in 2011 with the sale of property in Cambridgeshire. £45,900 was realised from the sale of the property.
	The Treasury Solicitor will generally only become involved in bequests where it is executor. Generally, in cases where a bequest is made for the reduction of the national debt, HM Treasury will ask the executors of the will to realise the property themselves before transferring funds to the Commissioners. Over the last decade, sales of those properties have included property in Leicester (sold for £452,000), Leeds (£275,000), East Sussex (£240,000) and Merseyside (£143,000). Those bequests also included some chattels with a total value of £11,995, but further information on chattels would require a detailed search of paper files, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Revenue and Customs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the public consultation by HM Revenue and Customs on plans to introduce face-to-face and telephone support for tax and entitlement rights was advertised.

David Gauke: The Consultation document on 'Supporting customers who need extra help—a new approach' was published on 14 March 2013 on the UK Government website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/supporting-customers-who-need-extra-help-a-new-approach
	HMRC also advertised the consultation to our customers through leaflets in our Inquiry Centres.
	All MPs were sent an ‘Issue Brief’ detailing the changes HMRC is planning on 14 March. The document includes plans to implement the New Service, the consultation process, start and end dates plus a description of the pilot in the North East.
	The Issue briefing was also sent to over 100 Stakeholder organisations with an interest in HMRC's work, these included professional bodies, employer groups and several charities.

Revenue and Customs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the public consultation by HM Revenue and Customs on plans to introduce face-to-face and telephone support for tax and entitlement rights began; and when it will close.

David Gauke: The consultation document on “Supporting customers who need extra help—a new approach” ran between 14 March 2013 and 24 May 2013 when it closed.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the proportion of callers to HM Revenue and Customs contact centres who require the enhanced level of support the Needs Enhanced Support model seeks to provide; and what the annual cost will be of providing such support.

David Gauke: HMRC expects around 1.5 million customers to need an enhanced level of support. Based on published research, HMRC estimates that many of those customers use alternative sources of help, such as using voluntary and community sector organisations independent of HMRC, for advice. Of the total population of callers to HMRC contact centres, HMRC believes that c1.3% will require enhanced support under the proposed new model of additional help by phone and only some of those will go on to require a face-to-face meeting with an adviser. The current Needs Enhanced Support (NES) pilot will help to test this assumption.
	Annual running costs have been estimated at £22 million based upon pre-pilot assumptions. These figures will be reviewed using the insight we gain from the Pilot.

DEFENCE

Defence Support Group

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2013, Official Report, column 1117W, on defence support group, for what reasons agency workers were recruited from 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: As has been the case under previous Administrations, in order to maintain flexibility and agility, the Defence Support Group makes use of agency staff to meet the changing priorities, time scales and peaks and troughs of the emerging requirements of its customers and when the business requires the skills and expertise that are unavailable from within the existing permanent workforce.

Defence Support Group

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2013, Official Report, column 1117W, on defence support group and the answer of 14 May 2013, Official Report, columns 151-2W, on defence support group, how many agency workers are employed at (a) Ashchurch, (b) Bovington and (c) Donnington; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The numbers of agency staff employed at the Defence Support Group are currently as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Ashchurch 81 
			 Bovington 15 
			 Donnington 33

Military Bands

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his intention that the expansion of the Army Reserve will include the formation of new military bands; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: There are no plans to change the number of Army Reserve bands, which continue to provide vital morale-raising support to our troops.
	The Future Army Music 2020 (FAM 2020) study is under way but it is not due to look at Army Reserve bands until 2014.

Military Bases: Caernarfon

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on the local economy of the decision to close Caernarfon barracks.

Philip Dunne: The decision for the Army Reserve to vacate this site was driven by the Army's need to consolidate a Platoon of D Company, 3(rd) Battalion the Royal Welsh at Caernarfon with its Company Headquarters in Colwyn Bay 29 miles away.
	Planning will now take place with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association to assess the future of the site, including how to meet the enduring requirements of any Cadet or lodger units.
	The impact of this move on the local economy is unlikely to be significant given the small number of users affected.

NATO: Military Exercises

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what UK assets and personnel will take part in Iceland Fighter Meet 2014.

Andrew Murrison: None.

Territorial Army

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Statement of 3 July 2013, Official Report, columns 923-5, on reserve forces, what estimate he has made of the cost of closing each of the (a) 35 Territorial Army centres and (b) three Naval Reserve centres identified for closure;

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much he expects will be saved by the closure of the Territorial Army base in Bishop Auckland.

Andrew Murrison: The requirement to reshape our reserve forces footprint has been driven primarily by the changed structure of the Army Reserve and by the need to optimise recruitment and to facilitate effective training in the future.
	Further work is being undertaken better to define how those sites to be vacated by the Army Reserve will be managed in the future.
	Overall, we expect to invest around £80 million in improvements and expansion across the Army Reserve estate, as part of a £120 million overall investment in the reserve estate.

JUSTICE

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many premise licence holders have been fined the maximum possible amount for selling alcohol to an underage person in the last five years.

Helen Grant: In the last five years (2008 to 2012) in England and Wales, no offender has been sentenced to the maximum penalty for selling alcohol to a person aged under 18 years, or for allowing the sale of alcohol to a person under 18 years, for which the maximum penalty is the same.
	Further, no offender in the time period specified above in England and Wales has been sentenced for the offence of 'persistently selling alcohol to children’. The average fine imposed for this offence has increased significantly since 2010.

Employment Tribunals Service

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse in 2015-16 of removing fees for employment tribunals.

Helen Grant: The Government plans to implement fees into employment tribunals at the end of July 2013 and so has no plans to remove them. Expected income from the introduction of fees into employment tribunals is approximately £10 million a year.

Human Trafficking

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much is given to individual shelters to fund shelters for each victim of human trafficking for each 24 hour period in such shelters.

Helen Grant: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 26 June 2013, Official Report, column 290W.

Knives: Crime

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have received the maximum custody sentence for possession of a knife in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Wright: Unlawful possession of a knife or offensive weapon is a serious criminal offence which carries a maximum four year custodial sentence.
	This Government introduced the new offences of threatening someone with a knife in a public place or a school which came into force on 3 December 2012. These offences carry a minimum prison sentence of at least six months for adults and a four month Detention and Training Order for juveniles. The proportion of those found guilty for carrying a knife who are sent to prison has increased since 2010.
	The Government is also considering whether there is a case for further changes to be made to the sentencing framework for knife possession as part of the knife sentencing review.
	Within the sentencing framework, it is for judges and magistrates to decide the appropriate sentence in individual cases taking account of the harm the offence caused and the culpability of the offender. Under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 there is an obligation on courts, when sentencing for offences to follow the guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.
	Available information on the number of offenders sentenced at all courts to immediate custody, and those who received the maximum sentence of four years, for knife possession offences, in England and Wales, from 2009 to 2011, can be viewed in the table.
	Court proceedings data for 2012 are planned for publication later in May 2013.
	
		
			 Offenders sentenced at all courts to immediate custody, and those who received the maximum sentence, for knife possession offences, England and Wales, 2009-11(1,2) 
			 Offence description Sentenced 2009 2010 2011 
			 Having an article with blade or point in public place(3) Immediate custody 1,671 1,403 1,529 
			  Maximum sentence of four years 2 0 0 
			      
			 Having an article with blade or point on school premises(4) Immediate custody 4 10 7 
			  Maximum sentence of four years 0 0 0 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) An offence under Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.3. (4) An offence under Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (1)(5)(a) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1). Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice

Prison Service: Stress

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many instances of work-related stress were reported by prison staff in the last year.

Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not hold information on the number of instances of work-related stress reported by prison staff.
	NOMS aims to prevent stress arising among staff wherever possible and has adopted the Health and Safety Executive's Stress Management Standards on which to base its policy, guidance and stress management framework. The principles of this approach include preventive measures (including conducting risk assessments, stress related training for managers and staff, competency assessments) and reactive measures (for example, early intervention by managers in cases of stress related sickness absence).
	Should stress arise, there are several support measures available to prison staff to assist their recovery. These include access to comprehensive occupational health services, critical incident debriefing and counselling.

Prisoners: Older People

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2013, Official Report, column 792W, on prisoners: older people, 
	(1)  how many prisoners are in receipt of £3.25 per week, by category of their crime;
	(2)  how many prisoners are over pension age.

Jeremy Wright: Information is not held centrally on the number of older prisoners who are in receipt of £3.25 per week.
	As at 31 March 2013 there were 82 females aged 60 and over and 1,808 males aged 65 and over in prison establishments in England and Wales.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Discipline

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2013, Official Report, column 715W, on prisons: employment, if he will list the range of punishments used in prisons.

Jeremy Wright: Prisoners who commit offences against the Prison or Young Offender Institution Rules are dealt with through an internal disciplinary system known as adjudications. If found guilty they may receive any of the punishments allowed under the rules. Adjudications are governed by formal procedures published in Prison Service Instruction 47/2011 (which is available on the Ministry of Justice website) and which details the punishments available to adjudicating governors.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders were held in a cell, cubicle or room where the number of occupants exceeded its uncrowded capacity on 31 March 2013 in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: The Government is committed to providing safe, decent and secure places for those in custody and continues to meet this commitment. All cells are safe, decent and secure.
	Crowding occurs when cells are modified to hold more prisoners than they were originally designed for in order to manage the population. It is not a reflection of the quality of the accommodation.
	Table 1 following shows the number and rate of offenders held in a cell designed for one prisoner but occupied by two in each establishment for the 10 years leading up to and including 2011-12. Please note that figures have been rounded to one decimal place. Furthermore, data is not yet available for 2012-13. Rates of overcrowding are currently scheduled to be published on 25 July 2013.
	
		
			 Table 1: Year-to-date, overcrowding for each financial year from 2002-03 to 2011-12 for establishments in England and Wales 
			  Average population Number of prisoners in overcrowded accommodation Overcrowded (percentage) 
			 2002-03 71,498 16,684 23.3 
			 2003-04 73,658 18,300 24.8 
			 2004-05 74,808 18,214 24.3 
			 2005-06 76,564 18,356 24.0 
			 2006-07 78,880 19,438 24.6 
			 2007-08 80,676 20,377 25.3 
			 2008-09 82,830 20,452 24.7 
			 2009-10 83,971 20,235 24.1 
			 2010-11 84,920 20,211 23.8 
			 2011-12 86,638 20,907 24.1 
		
	
	Data has been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the level of detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system.

Reoffenders

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of offenders currently in prisons have previously served a prison sentence.

Jeremy Wright: Data on the criminal histories of offenders currently in prison are not held centrally in the same database and to answer this question would require a matching process between two different databases which due to its size and complexity will incur disproportionate cost.
	However information is available on the criminal histories of offenders in prison as at 30 June 2012.
	Of the 73,435 prisoners serving an immediate custodial sentence as at 30 June 2012, 71,172 were successfully matched to the PNC database. Information held within the PNC shows that 61.4% of these matched prisoners had received a previous immediate custodial sentence, prior to that which they were currently serving.
	For further details on the criminal histories of offenders, my hon. Friend can access the Ministry of Justice “Annual tables—Offender management caseload statistics 2012 tables” publication from the web address listed as follows. Tables A1.28 and A1.29 from the ‘Population table' provide more detailed information on the numbers of previous convictions or cautions for the prison population as of 30 June 2012.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offender-management-statistics-quarterly--2

Robbery: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 17 April 2013, Official Report, column 455W, on robbery: sentencing Table 2, what the offences committed by those who had previously received a non-custodial sentence for robbery were.

Jeremy Wright: Robbery is a serious crime and this is reflected in the immediate custody rate for adults in 2011 which was 84.3%. Juvenile offenders receive a lower custody rate reflecting the sentencing guidelines for youths, which direct courts to take into account the age, maturity and culpability of the individual offender (as well as a tendency for under 18's to commit less serious robbery crimes not involving harm). Courts must also have regard to the welfare of the young offender and the principal aim of the youth justice system—the prevention of offending.
	The following table shows the subsequent offences, by offence group, committed by adult and juvenile offenders, up to the end of September 2012, after having received a non-custodial sentence for a robbery offence between 2009 and 2011.
	It should be noted that those offenders receiving a non-custodial sentence for robbery in 2009 will have had up to two years longer to be convicted of another offence than those receiving a non-custodial sentence in 2011. Therefore, no attempt should be made to compare the figures over the three years presented. The data presented in this table is not directly comparable with the data presented in the original answer, as this question asks for a count of offences committed by a group of offenders, and the original question asked for the count of offenders.
	For adults, provisions in the Crime and Courts Act 2013 will require courts to include a punitive element in every community order, unless there are exceptional circumstances, and will enable courts to impose electronically monitored tracking of the offender's location. Tougher, more rehabilitative community punishments will help stop offenders in their tracks earlier to prevent them committing more crime.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of subsequent offences, by offence group, committed by adult and juvenile offenders, up to the end of September 2012, after having received a non-custodial sentence for a robbery offence between 2009 and 2011, England and Wales 
			   Year robbery committed and number of subsequent offences committed 
			 Age group Offence group 2009 2010 2011 
			 Juveniles (Aged 10-17) Violence against the person 568 397 219 
			  Sexual offences 20 17 8 
			  Burglary 491 326 163 
			  Robbery 672 533 410 
			  Theft and handling stolen goods 1,174 758 453 
			  Fraud and forgery 46 21 14 
			  Criminal damage 71 48 32 
			  Drug offences 908 632 349 
			  Other indictable offences 312 186 96 
			  Indictable motoring offences 20 8 6 
			  Summary offences excluding motoring 1,635 1,075 566 
			  Summary motoring offences 76 37 24 
			 Adults (Aged 18 and over) Violence against the person 75 67 32 
			  Sexual offences 9 5 1 
			  Burglary 46 50 25 
			  Robbery 69 52 29 
			  Theft and handling stolen goods 265 196 121 
			  Fraud and forgery 16 11 2 
			  Criminal damage 11 4 11 
			  Drug offences 126 106 60 
			  Other indictable offences 80 58 25 
			  Indictable motoring offences 1 2  
			  Summary offences excluding motoring 296 293 136 
			  Summary motoring offences 28 18 11 
			 Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Empty Property

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes containing two bedrooms or more that are under local authority or housing association control in the north of England are empty.

Don Foster: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 189W.

Housing: Construction

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department made of the potential costs to local councils of changes to permitted developments for householders.

Nicholas Boles: holding answer 8 July 2013
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for City of Durham (Roberta Blackman-Woods) on 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 415W.

Planning Permission: Urban Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made following the Portas review on running a high profile campaign to get people involved in neighbourhood plans.

Mark Prisk: Neighbourhood planning is gathering momentum. As of the beginning of July, over 550 communities have taken up the right to make a legally binding neighbourhood plan for their area, and more are joining them each week. The first neighbourhood plan is now in force in Upper Eden, Cumbria, where 90% of those voting said yes to the plan. Exeter St James and Thame both said a resounding 'yes' to their plans at referendums in May.
	A £9.5 million, two-year support programme delivered by Locality and Planning Aid England support neighbourhood plans, including those addressing high streets. It offers grant payments of up to £7,000 per neighbourhood area and practical, hands-on support, tailored to meet the needs of neighbourhoods and focused on progressing plan making. Details of all support available and case studies are available at:
	www.mycommunityrights.org.uk

TRANSPORT

A1: Nottinghamshire

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he expects construction of the Elkesley flyover on the A1 to begin.

Stephen Hammond: The tender process for the A1 Elkesley junctions improvement works contract is nearing completion and is programmed to be awarded in September/October this year. At this stage it is not possible to be more specific on an actual start of works date. I will be writing to local members when the contract is awarded.

Cross Country Trains

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what payments Cross Country has made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments Cross Country has received from public funds in each such year;
	(2)  what payments the Southern train operating company has made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments Southern has received from public funds in each such year;
	(3)  what payments South Eastern has made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments South Eastern has received from public funds in each such year;
	(4)  what payments Northern Rail has made to the Exchequer in each financial year since April 2004; and what payments Northern Rail has received from public funds in each such year.

Norman Baker: Information on the net annual payments between Government and Train Operating Companies is published annually by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)on their data portal. This is available on the ORR's website at:
	http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk
	Figures for First Scotrail and Arriva Trains Wales are supplied by the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government respectively as those bodies are responsible for the management and funding on those franchises.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the original estimate was of the cost of the High Speed 2/High Speed 1 link single bore tunnel from Old Oak Common to Primrose Hill; and what the most recent estimate is.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd advises that the original January 2012 estimate for the cost of the single bore tunnel was £330 million. Their current estimate for the tunnel is £290 million. The revised estimate reflects a more detailed understanding of the design and cost of the tunnelling.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the original estimate was of the cost of the High Speed 2/High Speed 1 link works above ground from the Primrose Hill portal to connect with High Speed 1; and what the most recent estimate is.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd advises that the original January 2012 estimate for the cost of the High Speed 2/High Speed 1 link works above ground from the Primrose Hill portal to connect with High Speed 1 was £170 million. Their current estimate for the works above ground is £300 million.
	The increased cost for the current estimate of the surface element is driven by a more detailed understanding of the implications of the route, for example the need to widen structures on the route.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most recent estimate is of the cost of the January 2012 proposals for High Speed 2 at Euston.

Simon Burns: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 14 March 2013, Official Report,columns 281-2W, to the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle).

Offshore Industry: Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) staff and (b) resources the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has allocated for work on the safety regime for the offshore oil and gas industry for each year to 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) does not allocate staff or resources to work on the safety regime for the offshore oil and gas industry. This is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.
	The MCA develops policies for the safety of ships that service the oil and gas industry. It also co-ordinates a 24 hour maritime search and rescue service, and manages pollution prevention and response activities. For matters concerning emergency response, two members of MCA staff are based in Aberdeen Maritime and Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC), dedicated to working with the offshore oil and gas and renewables industry during 2013-14.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Coventry City Football Club

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the cost to the local economy of Coventry City Football Club playing outside Coventry instead of at the Ricoh Arena.

Hugh Robertson: I do not, as a matter of course, assess the economic impact of specific football clubs, but recognise their importance to local communities and economies.

Devolution

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library any concordats which her Department or the public bodies for which she is responsible have with the devolved administrations.

Hugh Robertson: The Memorandum of Understanding and Supplementary Agreements, agreed in September 2012, set out principles which underlie the relationship between the UK Government and the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These documents are available in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The Department of Culture, Media and Sport, in addition, has agreed bilateral concordat(s) for handling of procedural, practical or policy matters with counterparts in the devolved Administrations of Scotland and Wales. Copies of the documents will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	We will check whether public bodies have concordats with the devolved Administrations and these, or links to them, will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses, in due course.

Sports: Finance

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of her Department's budget is allocated to grassroots sports in England.

Hugh Robertson: The proportion of DCMS' budget allocated to grassroots and community sport in England is 6%.

CABINET OFFICE

Cabinet Committees

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how it is decided which Ministers sit on each Cabinet Committee or Sub-Committee;
	(2)  what consideration is given to the respective numbers of Ministers who are members of (a) the Conservative party and (b) the Liberal Democrat party when deciding how many such hon. Members sit on each Cabinet Committee or Sub-Committee.

Oliver Letwin: The appointment of members of Cabinet Committees is by the Prime Minister with the agreement of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister consider the number of ministers who are members of each party when making appointments to Cabinet Committees and Sub-Committees.

Marriage

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people who were (a) White, (b) White British, (c) Irish, (d) Travellers of Irish heritage, (e) Gypsy/Roma, (f) any other White background, (g) White and Black Caribbean, (h) Black Caribbean, (i) White and Black African, (j) White and Asian, (k) any other mixed background, (l) Asian, (m) Pakistani, (n) Bangladeshi, (o) any other Asian background, (p) Black, (q) any other Black background, (r) Chinese and (s) any other ethnic group were married in each year since 1996.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated July 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to respond to your question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people who were (a) White, (b) White British, (c) Irish, (d) Travellers of Irish heritage, (e) Gypsy/Roma, (f) any other White background, (g) White and Black Caribbean, (h) Black Caribbean, (i) White and Black African, (j) White and Asian, (k) any other mixed background, (l) Asian, (m) Pakistani, (n) Bangladeshi, (o) any other Asian background, (p) Black, (q) any other Black background, (r) Chinese and (s) any other ethnic group were married in each year since 1996. (164601)
	The ethnicity and marital status of the population of England and Wales can be estimated using the Labour Force Survey. Estimates are available for 1996 to 2012 using this source but the ethnicity question asked of respondents has differed during this time, changing between 2000 and 2001, and again between 2010 and 2011. Therefore the results shown are not necessarily the same as those asked in the question but are the closest available.
	Tables 1, 2 and 3 provide estimates of the number and percentage of people aged 16 or over who were married, by ethnicity, in years 1996-2000, 2001-2010 and 2011-2012 respectively. The percentage of people married in each ethnic group will partly be affected by the age structure of those-in that ethnic group.
	Those whose ethnicity was missing were excluded from this analysis. This ranged from 5% of cases to less than 0.1%. As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty particularly for smaller ethnic groups.
	
		
			 Number and percentage of people aged 16+ who were married, by ethnicity, 1996-2012, England and Wales 
			 Number 
			 Table 1: Number and percentage of people aged 16+ who were married, by ethnicity, 1996-2000, England and Wales 
			 Ethnicity 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
			 Number married      
			 White 22,133,000 22,033,000 21,847,000 21,667,000 21,641,000 
			 Black 261,000 300,000 301,000 288,000 318,000 
			 Black Caribbean 132,000 150,000 156,000 137,000 155,000 
			 Black African 90,000 111,000 115,000 122,000 120,000 
			 Black Other (non-mixed) 23,000 21,000 14,000 13,000 20,000 
			 Black Mixed 16,000 18,000 16,000 16,000 22,000 
			 Asian 847,000 885,000 947,000 1,012,000 1,019,000 
			 Indian 422,000 429,000 461,000 470,000 486,000 
			 Pakistani 226,000 226,000 211,000 259,000 260,000 
			 Bangladeshi 80,000 82,000 83,000 123,000 106,000 
			 Chinese 48,000 64,000 81,000 60,000 53,000 
			 Other—Asian (non-mixed) 72,000 84,000 110,000 100,000 114,000 
			 Other—Other (non-mixed) 54,000 49,000 65,000 62,000 77,000 
			 Other—Mixed 34,000 38,000 38,000 39,000 41,000 
			 Total 23,329,000 23,306,000 23,197,000 23,068,000 23,096,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 Ethnicity 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
			 Percentage married      
			 White 58 58 57 57 57 
			 Black 40 41 40 40 42 
			 Black Caribbean 38 39 41 39 41 
			 Black African 47 49 48 50 48 
			 Black Other (non-mixed) 38 32 23 22 30 
			 Black Mixed 28 27 25 23 34 
			 Asian 66 65 66 67 65 
			 Indian 68 66 67 69 67 
			 Pakistani 69 67 65 66 70 
			 Bangladeshi 69 68 67 71 65 
			 Chinese 49 53 58 52 49 
			 Other—Asian (non-mixed) 62 61 68 68 58 
			 Other—Other (non-mixed) 65 66 63 58 53 
			 Other—Mixed 41 39 38 37 43 
			 Total 58 58 57 57 57 
		
	
	
		
			 Number 
			 Table 2: Number and percentage of people aged 16+ who were married, by ethnicity, 2001-10, England and Wales 
			 Ethnicity 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
			 Number married      
			 White 21,011,000 20,719,000 20,580,000 20,451,000 20,359,000 
			 British 20,306,000 19,981,000 19,732,000 19,501,000 19,394,000 
			 Other White (including Irish) 705,000 738,000 849,000 950,000 965,000 
			 Mixed 57,000 53,000 59,000 76,000 75,000 
			 White and Black Caribbean 27,000 21,000 10,000 13,000 20,000 
			 White and Black African 7,000 7,000 10,000 11,000 11,000 
			 White and Asian 17,000 16,000 19,000 21,000 19,000 
			 Other Mixed 6,000 8,000 21,000 30,000 25,000 
			 Asian 973,000 1,113,000 1,119,000 1,118,000 1,222,000 
			 Indian 442,000 514,000 508,000 479,000 517,000 
			 Pakistani 267,000 268,000 278,000 294,000 327,000 
			 Bangladeshi 105,000 126,000 126,000 135,000 118,000 
			 Other Asian 97,000 132,000 135,000 147,000 171,000 
			 Chinese 63,000 73,000 73,000 63,000 89,000 
			 Black 313,000 317,000 300,000 342,000 352,000 
			 Black Caribbean 149,000 151,000 130,000 159,000 143,000 
			 Black African 151,000 156,000 162,000 170,000 198,000 
			 Other Black 13,000 10,000 9,000 13,000 11,000 
			 Other 113,000 163,000 214,000 234,000 301,000 
			 Total 22,466,000 22,365,000 22,272,000 22,220,000 22,309,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Number 
			 Ethnicity 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Number married      
			 White 20,202,000 20,089,000 19,858,000 19,731,000 19,792,000 
			 British 19,119,000 18,842,000 18,680,000 18,530,000 18,596,000 
			 Other White (including Irish) 1,083,000 1,247,000 1,178,000 1,201,000 1,195,000 
			 Mixed '84,000 81,000 71,000 91,000 80,000 
			 White and Black Caribbean 20,000 15,000 21,000 18,000 18,000 
			 White and Black African 13,000 15,000 8,000 12,000 12,000 
			 White and Asian 22,000 19,000 19,000 26,000 21,000 
			 Other Mixed 29,000 31,000 24,000 35,000 29,000 
			 Asian 1,282,000 1,312,000 1,457,000 1,516,000 1,508,000 
			 Indian 565,000 537,000 584,000 649,000 654,000 
			 Pakistani 316,000 355,000 392,000 381,000 371,000 
			 Bangladeshi 132,000 135,000 163,000 168,000 150,000 
			 Other Asian 190,000 196,000 209,000 242,000 245,000 
			 Chinese 79,000 90,000 109,000 76,000 88,000 
			 Black 362,000 395,000 389,000 400,000 416,000 
			 Black Caribbean 1,38,000 160,000 131,000 137,000 144,000 
			 Black African 214,000 224,000 241,000 246,000 258,000 
			 Other Black 11,000 12,000 17,000 17,000 15,000 
			 Other 345,000 367,000 351,000 371,000 363,000 
			 Total 22,275,000 22,245,000 22,126,000 22,109,000 22,158,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 Ethnicity 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Percentage married           
			 White 56 56 55 55 55 54 54 53 53 52 
			 British 56 56 55 55 55 54 54 53 53 52 
			 Other White (including Irish) 54 56 54 57 54 53 53 52 53 52 
			 Mixed 30 28 29 31 29 32 30 26 28 26 
			 White and Black Caribbean 30 25 16 18 23 23 18 23 16 18 
			 White and Black African 35 26 33 35 28 36 40 22 31 28 
		
	
	
		
			 White and Asian 26 35 30 34 34 32 34 27 35 27 
			 Other Mixed 45 30 43 40 35 42 37 32 36 34 
			 Asian 64 66 64 62 64 64 64 64 64 63 
			 Indian 65 67 66 64 68 67 67 65 65 66 
			 Pakistani 67 68 66 68 67 64 65 68 65 66 
			 Bangladeshi 69 69 73 62 61 65 65 66 68 61 
			 Other Asian 56 63 61 63 68 67 66 61 66 63 
			 Chinese 50 53 46 42 46 50 46 50 43 43 
			 Black 41 40 40 41 41 41 42 43 41 43 
			 Black Caribbean 37 37 34 38 36 33 35 33 33 35 
			 Black African 48 46 46 46 46 49 50 53 48 49 
			 Other Black 34 27 28 40 36 31 42 38 44 34 
			 Other 64 58, 60 59 58 57 56 56 58 58 
			 Total 56 56 55 55 55 54 54 53 53 53 
		
	
	
		
			 Number 
			 Table 3: Number and percentage of people aged 16+ who were married, by ethnicity, 2011-12, England and Wales 
			 Ethnicity 2011 2012 
			 Number married   
			 White 19,259,000 19,530,000 
			 White British 18,207,000 18,399,000 
			 White Irish 204,000 170,000 
			 White Gypsy or White Traveller 6,000 5,000 
			 Other White 842,000 956,000 
			 Mixed 96,000 94,000 
			 White and Black Caribbean 14,000 15,000 
			 White and Black African 18,000 13,000 
			 White and Asian 29,000 25,000 
			 Other mixed/multiple ethnic groups 36,000 41,000 
			 Asian 1,659,000 1,714,000 
			 Indian 641,000 751,000 
			 Pakistani 415,000 429,000 
			 Bangladeshi 181,000 156,000 
			 Chinese 98,000 91,000 
			 Other Asian Background 324,000 288,000 
			 Black 445,000 448,000 
			 Black African 302,000 274,000 
			 Black Caribbean 130,000 154,000 
			 Other Black/African/Caribbean 12,000 20,000 
			 Arab 37,000 84,000 
			 Other Ethnic Group 240,000 264,000 
			 Total 21,735,000 22,877,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 Ethnicity 2011 2012 
			 Percentage married   
			 White 52 51 
			 White British 52 52 
			 White Irish 54 51 
			 White Gypsy or White Traveller 38 35 
			 Other White 48 50 
			 Mixed 30 .27 
			 White and Black Caribbean 17 14 
			 White and Black African 41 32 
			 White and Asian 32 32 
			 Other mixed/multiple ethnic groups 35 35 
			 Asian 63 63 
			 Indian 64 67 
			 Pakistani 67 63 
			 Bangladeshi 63 61 
			 Chinese 43 42 
			 Other Asian Background 67 66 
		
	
	
		
			 Black 41 43 
			 Black African 48 48 
			 Black Caribbean 33 37 
			 Other Black/African/Caribbean 26 40 
			 Arab 50 62 
			 Other Ethnic Group 58 53 
			 Total 52 51 
			 Notes: 1. The number of people married are rounded to thousands and totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. The LFS is a household survey of people in the UK. It includes those resident at private addresses, but does not cover most communal establishments. Because the estimates come from a survey, they are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in variables: Between 1996 and 2012, the ethnicity categories have changed so different categories are shown for 1996-2000, 2001-10 and 2011-12. Missingness: Some cases have a missing value for ethnicity so have been excluded from the analysis. Namely the levels of missingness are: 2011-2012—5.5% of cases 2001-2010—3.3% of cases 1996-2000—<0.1% of cases Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS), Office for National Statistics

Moira Wallace

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether the severance payment given to Moira Wallace met Government rules designed to reduce civil servants' pay-outs;
	(2)  whether (a) the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change or (b) anybody else in the Department for Energy and Climate Change consulted his Department before agreeing Moira Wallace's severance payment;
	(3)  what rules are in place governing the agreement of severance payments if the recipient has already secured a new source of employment;
	(4)  what guidelines apply regarding a permissible severance deal and an acceptable severance deal.

Francis Maude: The exit package for the former Permanent Secretary at the Department of Energy and Climate Change was within the rules of the reformed civil service compensation scheme.
	The package was agreed by my Department and the Treasury as being within the rules of the reformed scheme. There is provision for clawback of money paid if an individual returns to the civil service within a specified period of time.
	In 2010 we reformed the Civil Service Compensation scheme, ensuring significant savings to the taxpayer. Where compensation payments were Tiade. departments estimated that costs would be recouped within a year. The early departure programmes across central Government Departments since 2010 should be seen in the context of overall reductions in civil service employment that has reduced by 78,000 FTE staff, a reduction of 16% since March 2010.

Politics and Government

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2013, Official Report, columns 298-300W, on politics and government, 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the difference between trust levels in the EU government and HM Government in spring 2012;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the reasons for the drop in trust levels in the Government to 21 per cent in (a) autumn 2009 and (b) autumn 2011.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated July 2013
	As the Director General of the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary questions, asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the difference between trust levels in the EU government and HM Government in spring 2012 (164202) and the reasons for the drop in trust levels in the Government to 21 per cent in (a) autumn 2009 and (b) autumn 2011 (164203).
	The statistics referred to are not ONS statistics. The estimates are taken from the Eurobarometer, sample surveys of approximately 1,000 adults in each country. Estimates are therefore subject to sampling variability and this should be borne in mind when interpreting the results. The data can be accessed from the website for the Public Opinion Analysis of the European Commission using the following link:
	http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm
	The difference between the percentage of adults in the UK who tend to trust the European Union and the National Government, has fluctuated over recent years. In some years adults in the UK have tended to trust the European Union more than National Government, whilst in others the reverse is reported. In spring 2012, the percentage of adults who tended to trust the European Union was five percentage points lower than the percentage of adults who tended to trust National Government.
	The percentage of adults in the UK who tended to trust National Government fell from 29 per cent autumn 2008 to 21 per cent in spring 2009 and 19 per cent in Autumn 2009, then from 32 per cent in spring 2011 to 21 per cent in autumn 2011.
	The ONS has not undertaken an assessment of the reasons for change in trust levels. However, the UK parliamentary expenses scandal and the financial crisis in 2009 and then the General Election may have had an effect during the periods in question.

Public Appointments

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to increase the representation of (a) women, (b) people with disabilities and (c) ethnic minorities on the boards of public bodies falling within his Department's area of responsibility.

Francis Maude: The Government has established the Centre for Public Appointments in the Cabinet Office to support and work with Departments on public appointments.
	Both the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the Cabinet Office's Centre for Public Appointments are working with underrepresented groups to identify barriers to applications.

Senior Civil Servants: Business Interests

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cases considered by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments relating to the employment of former senior civil servants were (a) approved unreservedly, (b) approved with conditions and (c) rejected in each of the last three years.

Francis Maude: holding answer 10 July 2013
	As was the case under the previous administration the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments provides advice to the Prime Minister (or the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend/the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), as appropriate) on the application of the Business Appointment Rules to the most senior members of the civil service, armed services and diplomatic service who wish to take up appointments within two years of leaving Crown service. The Advisory Committee publishes its advice on its website, and in its annual report, once an appointment has been taken up or announced. It does not publish its advice on appointments not taken up.

Unemployment: Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of 18 to 24 year olds have been unemployed for two years or more in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) Barnsley, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) England.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated July 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of 18 to 24 year olds have been unemployed for two years or more in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) Barnsley, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) England (164705).
	ONS compiles, labour market statistics for local geographies from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Whilst the APS does collect data on duration of unemployment, no reliable estimates can be produced for South Yorkshire, Barnsley and Barnsley Central because of the relatively small sample sizes.
	The number of people aged 18 to 24 years who were unemployed for over two years, according to survey responses from the APS during the period April 2012 to March 2013, in England was 92,000 or 1.9%. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	As an alternative in table 1 we have provided the number and percentage of people aged 18 to 24 who were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for over two years in May 2013, the latest available period, for all requested geographies.
	The number of people claiming JSA for over two years is generally significantly lower than the number of people reaching this duration of unemployment under the ILO definition, measured using survey information. This gap is particularly large for 18 to 24 year olds. There area number of reasons for this, including:
	ineligibility of students for JSA, who may be actively seeking work and therefore meet the ILO definition of unemployment;
	breaks in period of JSA claim due to, for example, periods of training, reducing the number of JSA claimants reaching longer claim duration periods,
	the smaller proportion of people being eligible for means tested JSA, once their entitlement to contribution based JSA has expired after a maximum of six months.
	Although these effects make comparisons between long term unemployed and long term JSA claimants impractical, comparisons of long term JSA claimants between different geographic areas are still valid.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number(1) and percentage of people aged 18 to 24 years claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for over 2 years, May 2013 
			  Level Percentage 
			 Barnsley Central 60 0.8 
			 Barnsley 160 0.8 
			 South Yorkshire 940 0.6 
			 England 18,015 0.4 
			 (1) Data rounded to nearest 5 Source: Jobcentreplus Administrative System

EDUCATION

Academies: Nottinghamshire

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date he expects construction of the new Serlby Park Academy School to begin.

David Laws: The Education Funding Agency is currently working with the group of schools that contain Serlby Park Academy. We anticipate inviting contractors to tender to deliver for this group of schools before the end of this year.

Children in Care: Missing Persons

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children went missing from care in each year since 2010; how many such children were missing for over one month; and what estimate he has made of the number of those children who may have been trafficked.

Edward Timpson: The Department currently collects information on children looked after by local authorities in England who went missing from their agreed placement for a period of 24-hours or more.
	The number of children who went missing from their agreed placement, and the number who were missing for a period of 30-days or more is shown in the following table. Children who went missing on more than one occasion during the year have been recorded only once for that year. Figures for 2013 will be published in September. Whilst these figures may include some children who may have been trafficked, it is not possible to determine from the data collected if any children were trafficked.
	
		
			 Looked after children who went missing from their agreed placement at any point during the year ending 31 March(1, 2, 3) Years ending 31 March 2010 to 2012— Coverage: England 
			  Years ending 31 March: 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Number of children who went missing from their agreed placement for 24 hours or more 820 950 1,510 
			 Of these:    
			 The number of children who were missing for a period of 30 days or more 320 340 390 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Where a child went missing from his/her placement on more than one occasion during the year, the child has only been counted once during that year. (3) The number of looked after children who have a period where they are classed as being missing from their agreed placement for a period of 24-hours which started during the year ending 31 March. 
		
	
	It is known that there is some under-reporting of children missing from their agreed placement by local authorities and hence in the statistics we publish. Comparisons with other data sources on missing children indicate that the figures presented are an undercount of the true figure, in part due to definitional issues (e.g. the Department only collects information on children missing for more than 24-hours). Work was undertaken in 2012 to improve the quality of the data returned by local authorities and this is likely to have contributed to the rise in the numbers of missing children reported. This quality improvement work is on-going this year and will continue in future years.

Children's Centres

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Sure Start centres offer relationship support.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not hold information about the number of children's centres offering relationship support to families. However, the “Evaluation of Children's Centres in England”, a survey in September 2011 of over 500 centres serving deprived areas, showed that 93% provided services under the category: “parents and family support/parenting classes/relationship support”.

Families

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 6 December 2012, Official Report, columns 867-8W, on families, which relationship support programmes are being funded by the £30 million referred to in the answer; and how many families have so far been helped by such programmes.

Edward Timpson: In 2011-13, the Government allocated around £15 million to 11 expert providers in the voluntary and community sector to deliver a range of relationship support services. The following information details the grants that were funded in that period and the numbers of people that providers reported were helped by the relevant programmes:
	1. Relate undertook public policy work and campaigning to raise awareness of the value of relationship support. They also piloted iRelate, an online counselling service in schools providing 4,572 hours of counselling.
	2. One Plus One evaluated programmes on managing conflict and parental separation and trained practitioners in Children's Centres to recognise and respond to parents experiencing relationship difficulties.
	3. Marriage Care delivered marriage preparation and relationship education services to over 6,000 couples.
	4. Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships (TCCR) delivered training for expert practitioners and senior Children's Centre staff and provided 12,000 couple and psychotherapy sessions.
	5. Project for Advocacy Counselling and Education (PACE) developed a Charter Mark to improve the way mainstream services work with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender people.
	6. Care for the Family piloted short relationship education sessions for first-time parents reaching 2,105 parents.
	7. Asian Family Counselling Services (AFCS) delivered 2,072 marital counselling sessions, 790 family sessions and 1,515 individual counselling sessions.
	8. Families Need Fathers delivered support for separated and separating parents reaching 221,749 people with their website, 6,913 through their helpline and 1,527 through their branch meetings.
	9. Gingerbread delivered 59 single parent support groups in disadvantaged areas.
	10. The Centre for Separated Families delivered training to Children's Centre practitioners and day nursery practitioners to recognise and respond effectively to support families experiencing relationship difficulties.
	11. Contact a Family delivered range of relationship support and information services reaching over 12,000 families with disabled children.
	The Department for Education has recently awarded further contracts and grants worth a further £15 million for relationship support services up to March 2015. Expert organisations from the voluntary and community sector are offering support as detailed as follows. It is too early to know how many individuals and families will be helped by these services.
	1. Marriage Care, in partnership with Relate and PACE, will deliver preventative relationship support services at key transition points in the lives of couples such as moving in together, getting married and becoming first-time parents.
	2. TCCR, in partnership with Family Action, will deliver an evidenced based preventative intervention which works with couples, who are particularly likely to face relationship stress or be at risk of relationship breakdown and estrangement.
	3. One Plus One, in partnership with Working Families, Claremont, Dadinfo, Netmums, Youthnet, TheStudentRoom and Contact a Family, will deliver a series of campaigns and culture change messages aimed at employers, new parents and young people to raise awareness and normalise help-seeking.
	4. Relate, in partnership with Marriage Care, TCCR, PACE, AFCS, and Contact a Family, will deliver a package of relationship support services aimed at helping couples resolve conflict.
	5. TCCR, in partnership with 4Children and Fatherhood Institute, will deliver training to early years practitioners and leadership staff to help them encourage positive relationships between parents and to improve front line staff capacity to engage well with fathers on relationships and parenting.
	6. Contact a Family will deliver training to children and families' workforce practitioners to support them to recognise and respond to the emotional and practical pressures families with disabled children face.
	7. TCCR, in partnership with Relate, PACE and Marriage Care, will deliver training programmes for relationship support specialists.
	8. Relate, in partnership with TCCR, OnePlusOne and Marriage Care, will build capacity and sustainability within the sector and support the development of local infrastructure.
	9. TCCR will evaluate their Parenting Together programme, an intensive service supporting parents to work collaboratively, ensuring non-resident parents and their children can maintain contact.

Financial Services: Education

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress his Department has made on plans to improve financial literacy in schools.

Elizabeth Truss: Our proposals for the new national curriculum include making personal finance education a requirement within the citizenship programmes of study for key stages 3 and 4. From September 2014, pupils will be taught the functions and uses of money, the importance of personal budgeting, money management and the need to understand financial risk.
	In addition, the proposed national curriculum programmes of study for mathematics have been strengthened to give pupils from five to 16 the necessary mathematical skills they need to make important financial decisions about mortgages and loan repayments.

Ministers' Private Offices

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pieces of correspondence his private ministerial office responded to in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: Private office correspondence is recorded on the Department's central correspondence handling system. This shows that Ministers' private offices dispatched 12,991 replies to correspondence in 2012, of which 2,137 are recorded as responses from the Secretary of State for Education. These figures will not include individual items of correspondence which were sent by private offices outside the system, records of which are not held centrally.

Ministers' Private Offices

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his private ministerial office spent on access to (a) digital television and (b) internet media in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education's private office has incurred no costs for digital television. With regard to the cost of internet media, the private ministerial office access the internet using the general facilities provided to the entire Department. As such, the information requested is not readily available.

Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what contracts his Department has with mobile telephone operators for the provision of mobile telephones for (a) staff in his private office and (b) his own ministerial use.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has a contract with Vodafone. The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), and staff in his ministerial private office are issued BlackBerry devices that operate on the Vodafone mobile network.

Photographs

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many official photographs have been taken of (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials in his Department for use in Government publications since May 2010; how many staff of his Department are expected to undertake photography with the ministerial and senior leadership team as part of their duties; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: Photographs of our six Ministers and eight senior officials are displayed in the reception area of our London headquarters. These photographs were commissioned on appointment and produced by members of staff at minimal cost. They are regularly re-used in publications. There is no dedicated resource for photography within the Department and it does not form part of staff duties.
	We recently changed the policy so that in future, no taxpayer's money is spent on ministerial photographs.

Public Appointments

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to increase the representation of (a) women, (b) people with disabilities and (c) ethnic minorities on the boards of public bodies falling within his Department's area of responsibility.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government is committed to attracting a strong and diverse field of candidates to public appointments and has a specific aspiration to increase the number of women on the boards of public bodies.
	Appointments to public bodies which fall within the Department for Education's remit are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Ministers, civil servants and the Commissioner ensure that appointments processes routinely seek to achieve equality of opportunity.
	The Commissioner promotes equal opportunities and diversity in a number of ways. These include:
	1. Specific principles and requirements in the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.
	2. Regularly meeting and presenting information about public appointments to targeted groups in order to encourage a wide range of people to apply.
	3. Conducting investigations into potential barriers which may affect particular members of society from applying for public appointments.
	4. Collecting statistics annually in relation to appointments and reappointments within the Commissioner's remit by reference to gender, ethnicity, age and disability. These statistics are published in the Commissioner's annual report.

Schools: Governing Bodies

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if his Department will review the (a) current incentives for and (b) requirements on businesses that release their staff for school governor duties.

Edward Timpson: The Department is considering whether to review the current incentives for, and requirements on, businesses to release their staff for governor duties. This follows a recommendation made by the Education Select Committee in its report on the role of school governing bodies which was published on 4 July 2013. We will respond to the Committee in due course.

Senior Civil Servants

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many senior civil servants left his Department and public bodies under voluntary exit and received a severance payment in each of the last three years; and what the value of such payments was.

Elizabeth Truss: During the last three financial years, 36 senior civil servants have left the Department for Education under voluntary exit and received a severance payment; nine during 2010-11, 13 during 2011-12 and 14 during 2012-13.
	The cost of each release to the Department was as follows:
	
		
			  Number of releases 
			 Amount 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 £0-£49,999 0 2 5 
			 £50,000-£99,999 0 6 4 
			 £100,000-£149,999 2 2 2 
			 £150,000-£199,999 3 2 3 
			 £200,000-£249,999 3 1 0 
			 £250,000-£299,999 0 0 0 
			 £300,000-£349,999 0 0 0 
			 £350,000-£399,999 0 0 0 
			 £400,000-£449,999 1 0 0 
		
	
	A single payment of £400,000-£449,999 was made to an individual who had reserved rights and therefore received a severance payment of up to six and two-thirds years pay under the voluntary flexible early severance terms. Reserved rights no longer apply and payments are now capped at 21 months pay for all voluntary exits and redundancy.
	The Department does not hold this information for its public bodies.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he had with (a) non-governmental organisations and (b) other stakeholders to inform the preparation of the UK's submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.

Edward Timpson: The UK Government is due to submit a report on implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in the United Kingdom to the United Nations in January 2014. The report will provide a brief update on the UK's position in relation to the three UNCRC Optional Protocols, including the one on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. Preparation of the report is underway and will continue over the coming months. Department for Education officials have regular and on-going dialogue with other Government Departments, the devolved administrations and non-governmental organisations in support of this exercise.

Young People: Education

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 year olds were in full-time education or training in each year from 2010 to the latest available date.

Matthew Hancock: The information requested is provided in “Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year olds in England” Statistical First Release (SFR), which is available here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-in-education-training-and-employment-by-16-to-18-year-olds-in-england-end-2012
	A copy of “Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year olds in England” Statistical First Release (SFR) will be placed in the House Library.